Media Gallery: Video Oldest

Whales have existed for million of years. Watch this animation, from the Sant Ocean Hall, to see how they evolved from land-dwellers to the animals we know today. Discover more about whale evolution in our Ocean Over Time interactive. Note: this video contains no audio.

At a ceremony on the edge of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., Douglas Chilton and other members of the Native community officially name the canoe Raven Spirit and launch the craft. More about raven spirit can be found in our Raven Spirit photo essay.

In song and dance, the Native community in Juneau, Alaska, celebrates the completion of the Raven Spirit canoe and its imminent journey to Washington, D.C., where it was presented to the Smithsonian. More about raven spirit can be found in our Raven Spirit featured story.

Scientists on the tiny island of Moorea, in the Pacific, are gathering one of every life form large enough to pick up with tweezers. They're on a quest to build a detailed catalog of the entire ecosystem. Learn more about the island and the research being done there in our Casting a Wide Net section.