Adapt to survive
Discovering Life Hall
No Hiking Shoes Needed!
Get ready for an indoor nature walk in our Discovering Life Hall — where everything from single-cell organisms to complete ecosystems will open your mind to the power and potential of living things. You’ll discover fossils, taxidermy specimens, 3D animations and interactive games that demonstrate how factors like genetics and environment are shaping the next generation of plants, animals and even bacteria!
Sense This
Time to use your senses! Observe the sights, sounds, textures and smells of three different Texas ecoregions: the Pineywoods, Blackland Prairie and Chihuahuan Desert.
Origins and Adaptations
What is life and how do species adapt over time? Explore theories on the origins of life through an interactive digital book and uncover the facts through insights from scientists who are making breakthroughs in cellular research.
The Power of Environmental Factors
Life on Earth is constantly changing. Explore how factors like pollution and climate change could lead to adaptation or extinction.
The World Beneath Your Feet
Pineywoods is right here in the Museum. Immerse yourself in this ecoregion when you crawl under a diorama and explore all that lies beneath the surface.
Discovering Life Hall Scavenger Hunt
- Find the rattlesnake and look closely – one of its fangs is made of clear epoxy!
- Find the melanistic Leopard (burgundy-colored) from India.
- Take the stairs down from Level 3 to get the best view of the Black-Maned Lion from Tanzania.
What to Do Next
Take what you’ve learned about cells and get up close and personal with them inside the Bio Lab of the Being Human Hall. Become a scientist when you perform a DNA extraction, examine your very own cheek cells or test which household chemicals kill microbes.
