The Linnean Society of London

16/06/2026

New Blog Day!🚨

We've probably all wondered how we'd achieve complete ecological dominance in the Mesozoic. For early sauropodomorphs like Macrocollum itaquii, a long neck was the answer. Stretching their vertebrae into great lengths, dippy's ancestors shine a light on the evolution of one of life's most extreme body plans...talk about sticking your neck out! 🧪 🌍

Read the latest blog here 👇

Discover the latest news from The Linnean Society of London.

15/06/2026

Devoted dads and citizen science: uncovering the evolution of parental care in harvestmen!
Citizen science data from iNaturalist has helped uncover the evolution of parental guarding behaviour in harvestmen: from research in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
Combining nearly three decades of fieldwork with data from iNaturalist, an international team of researchers led by a scientist from the University of São Paulo have more than doubled the number of documented cases of parental care in harvestmen. As a result, the evolution of maternal and paternal care in the superfamily Gonyleptoidea was reconstructed for the first time.
Read the press release and paper here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1131641

15/06/2026

This Thursday at 6 pm, a talk tracing the story of an arboretum planted by Suffragettes & almost forgotten by history.
The tale of a lone Monterey Pine planted by suffragette Rose Lamartine Yates.
Six years ago, in a moment of pure serendipity, artist Elaine Duigenan found the last tree and it began a quest to tell a story that spans nature, culture, feminism and art.
Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1988180742120?aff=oddtdtcreator

13/06/2026

Our warmest congratulations to Kabir Kaul FLS, who has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours list for services to nature.

Kabir said: “I remain incredibly grateful for the Society’s kindness and encouragement, and the wisdom of all the Fellows I've had the privilege to meet so far. Not only was I honoured to receive the John Spedan Lewis award in 2024, but since becoming a Fellow that year my understanding of nature has been significantly enriched by Fellows working in all natural history disciplines.”

https://www.linnean.org/news/2026/06/13/kings-birthday-honours-for-jlpf-medal-winner

12/06/2026

In this lecture we examine two copies of one of natural history’s great female pioneers Maria Sybilla Merian’s great work held in both the Linnean Society and Oak Spring Garden Foundation libraries. Explore this masterpiece of scientific illustration.
Watch here: https://buff.ly/eKdkwGq

This was a collaborative lecture between the Linnean Society and Oak Spring Garden Foundation.The talk explores a masterpiece of scientific illustration from...

11/06/2026

A moving story of a writer falling in love with an ancient linden tree in France. European linden trees, of the genus Tilia, have grown on the continent for centuries. Europe’s oldest lindens, some seeded during the Roman Empire, have seen as many as a thousand winters.
Lindens are of course tied to Linnaeus as well, Carl Linnaeus' father had adopted the latinized surname after a majestic, ancient small-leaved linden (Tilia cordata) on their homestead.
Read the essay here:

Or, how I fell in love with a linden

11/06/2026

You don't want to miss this free and fantastic talk - all about underground dragonflies! Yes! And all the way from New Zealand by dragonfly conservationist Ruary Mackenzie Dodds.
PS: There is an AMAZING video that has dragonflies, a feral cats, possums, a hedgehog...
But also, it is a true 'story from the field', and about the lengths to which researchers go to find and observe creatures in the wild, and the treasures that we can find through their hard work.
June 17, 6.30 PM BST
BOOK HERE: bit.ly/4g8drvu

10/06/2026

The 20th C transformation of biology owes a lot to Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cancer cells led to the first immortalized human cell line.
Read our blog by Olive Rothwell, winner of the annual KYTOS Award for Academic Writing.
Run by The Sixth Form College, Farnborough and endorsed by the Linnean Society, the competition awards a winning essay that not only shows a flair for biology, but also a comprehensive understanding of the issue being discussed.
bit.ly/4v3SBSI

09/06/2026

We had a great time at Westminster City Council's Biodiversity Bioblitz during half term!

Our Education Manager, Dan, and volunteers from among our Fellowship spent the day with local residents, identifying as many species of plants, animals and fungi as possible.

08/06/2026

Happy !
"Science is a story of exploration, discovery and understanding," writes marine biologist Melissa Cristina Márquez. In The Linnean, she writes about shark science, and why multi-language communication is so important for the future of research and engagement.
Read her essay here: https://bit.ly/4v4kKcs

The Linnean magazine is produced three times a year, and is an in depth online magazine. It is a special offering for our Fellows and members, and it provides articles on the scientific research of our members, affiliates and collaborators, and history of science, with particular links to our Fellows and collections.
Find all our back issues here: https://www.linnean.org/our-publications/the-linnean