| |
Museum Media News:
The South Florida Museum's one-stop news update for the media
|
|
|
For Immediate Release
|
Aug. 31, 2016
|
South Florida Museum Brings Age of Dinosaurs to Southwest Florida
|
|
Media Contact
|
office: 941.216.3460,
cell: 646.522.1779.
|
|
|
Special Events & Programs
|
|
|
|
Florida may be a hotbed of cool fossil finds -- from ancient sharks' teeth to Priscilla, the giant mastodon that graces the South Florida Museum's Great Hall. But when it comes to dinosaur fossils, we're out of luck: Florida is among just a handful of U.S. states that missed out on the dinosaur age.
Until now...
|
|
| |
Curators at the South Florida Museum are excited to announce the Museum's newest exhibit:
Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Fossils, New Ideas, which will open on Sept. 17.
This exciting exhibit from the American Museum of Natural History, which is included in the cost of regular admission, casts a vivid picture of what living, breathing dinosaurs were really like and shows how current thinking about dinosaur biology has changed over the past two decades.
 |
|
|
T. rex is often depicted with its great legs in a crouch -- but was that its typical pose? Some biomechanical scientists doubt it. This scale model, shown mid-stride, may have been rather straight-legged, too. An accompanying video shows how biomechanics experts think a creature the size of T. rex might have gotten around and a how this great carnivore was likely much slower than any Hollywood T. rex.
Photo copyright AMNH.
|
"Because the Museum focuses on Florida fossils, we don't get to do a lot with dinosaurs," said Jeff Rodgers, the Museum's Director of Education. "Dinosaurs lived on land, and Florida was underwater when dinosaurs roamed the earth. That's why we're so excited to bring this special exhibition to the state. Not only does it offer the opportunity for our guests to learn the most up-to-date information about dinosaurs, the exhibition also gives great insight into how paleontologists do their work."
The exhibit
is organized by leaders in the field of paleontology: the American Museum of Natural History, New York (
www.amnh.org)
, in collaboration with the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco; The Field Museum, Chicago; the Houston Museum of Natural Science; and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh.
"As the county's biggest cultural attraction drawing more than 90,000 people annually, we know that residents and visitors rely on the South Florida Museum to provide them with an exciting, educational and fun experience," said Museum CEO Brynne Anne Besio. "That's why we're proud to bring in such high-quality special exhibits and give everyone a new reason to come back for a visit. It's also why -- as part of our Master Campus and Programming Plan -- we will be renovating our exhibit spaces and transforming the way students and visitors interact with and experience history, space and the natural science."
The South Florida Museum's ambitious Master Campus and Programming Plan positions the Museum as a regional leader in its field and focuses on creating new, dynamic experiences for visitors while enhancing our public spaces. The early priorities of the Plan will be paid for by funds raised through the Connect Campaign. Fully implementing the Master Campus and Programming Plan will require meeting additional fundraising goals.
The South Florida Museum's latest exhibit, Dinosaur Discoveries, uses a combination of major fossil finds, captivating computer simulations and provocative models to create a detailed examination of recent scientific sleuthing about these fascinating animals. The exhibit showcases the array of investigative tools -- from bioengineering computer software to CT scans -- used by modern scientists to reinterpret many of the most persistent and puzzling mysteries of dinosaurs: what they looked like, how they behaved and how they moved. It also explores the complex and hotly debated theories of why -- or even whether -- they became extinct. The exhibit even explores the idea of how dinosaurs' descendants may still be walking the earth today.
Dinosaur Discoveries
also includes a depiction of the Liaoning Forest, a rich forest on the Chinese Province of Liaoning that has yielded a wealth of discoveries and shed light on the origins of birds, mammals, feathers, flight and even flowering plants.
"This exhibition illustrates how scientists are using new ideas, new discoveries and new technologies to revolutionize our understanding of dinosaurs," says Mark A. Norell, curator of Dinosaur Discoveries and Macaulay Curator in the Division of Paleontology and the division's chair at the American Museum of Natural History.. "Our work reaches across many disciplines involving paleontologists, biomechanical engineers, paleobotanists and others to showcase how we go about reconstructing the mysterious life of dinosaurs."
|
 
Preview Reception & Media Opportunity Sept. 16
Please join us for a special Preview Reception and Media Opportunity for
Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Fossils, New Ideas.
- What: Dinosaur Discoveries Preview Reception
- When: 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16
- Where: South Florida Museum, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton, Fla., 34205
- Cost: Free for Museum Members; $5 for nonmembers
- Tickets: Online here
- For Media: Members of the media are welcome to attend the event for free, but please RSVP to Jessica Schubick at [email protected] or 646.522.1779
|
|
Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Fossils, New Ideas Exhibit Highlights
How Dinosaurs Moved
Biomechanical studies on dinosaur movement spring dramatically to life through a video depicting how experts in biomechanics and paleontology are teaming up to estimate the typical speed and gait of a rampaging Tyrannosaurus rex.
- A full-size cast skeleton leg of a T. rex.
- A stunning model of an Apatosaurus skeleton neck, whose construction has been based on computer drawings used to investigate the full range of vertebral movements of this huge, long-necked creature.
- A high-definition video array on the wall directly behind the Apatosaurus neck displays a computer animation of the steel robo-dinosaur skeleton that morphs into a realistic fossil skeleton then gradually adds layers of muscle and skin until a full-fleshed Apatosaurus is moving on the screens.
How Dinosaurs Behaved
Scientists are reinterpreting old fossil evidence using new approaches
|
|
|
We find many different body parts among dinosaurs: Plates of armor; exceptionally large or oddly shaped heads; bony plates.
Photo copyright AMNH.
|
and new technologies to unlock the secrets of dinosaur behavior. Life-size models and skeleton casts illustrate theories on the reasons for unusual horns, frills, crests and domes found on many dinosaur skulls -- were they used for defense, mate recognition or display? Featuring:
- A case of skulls, plates and other armor.
- Twin life-size models of Protoceratops -- one as a skeleton and the other fully fleshed out.
- A life-size three-horned Triceratops skull.
The Liaoning Forest
This depiction shows a section of a 130-million-year-old forest that has provided fossil discoveries that are shedding light on the origins of birds, mammals, feathers, flight and flowering plants.
Extinction
Visitors can explore the hard evidence for theories on the possible events that ended the Age of Dinosaurs, including asteroid impact, global climate change and massive volcanic eruptions and the descendants of dinosaurs that walk among us today.
|
Special Dinosaur Related Events and Programs
Saturday, Oct. 1: Family Night at the Museum: National Fossil Day
The first Saturday of most months offers families a whole new way to explore the Museum. On
Family Nights, we offer special themed activities and events and often include family-friendly films or a live performance. We also offer hands-on activities everyone can enjoy -- from special scavenger hunts to other engaging activities. On
National Fossil Day, we partner with
with local and state agencies, organizations and clubs to promote the exploration, education and protection of our ancient past.
Guests will meet paleontologists and geologists who work every day to uncover the secrets that fossils reveal. Special fossil exhibits from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. provided by the Florida Museum of Natural History, Florida Paleontological Society, Florida Fossil Hunters, the Southwest Florida Fossil Society and others; Junior Paleontologist Badge Program hosted by De Soto National Memorial Rangers and an outdoors fossil dig for kids sponsored by Mosaic.
-
The Museum stays open until 8 p.m. with half-price admission beginning at 3 p.m.
- The Rock Hall of Fame Planetarium show runs from 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Family Night
- Museum Members always get in free for Family Night and the Rock Hall of Fame.
|
Wednesday, Oct. 12: think + drink (science): Did Dark Matter Kill the Dinosaurs
? with the Museum's own Jeff Rodgers
Join us in the Bishop Planetarium on the second Wednesday of most months for our regular
think+drink (science). This evening event transforms the Planetarium into a center for community conversation as we explore cutting-edge science topics in an informal, relaxed setting. Director of Education at the Museum Jeff Rodgers will give a short presentation and then open the floor to questions and discussion from all. Drinks & snacks available to purchase and you're welcome to bring your own munchies.
- What: think + drink (science)
- Program Topic: Did Dark Matter Kill the Dinosaurs?
- When: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12
- Where: South Florida Museum's Bishop Planetarium, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton.
- Cost: $3 for Museum Members; $5 for non-members
- RSVP: Tickets required. Purchase now.
|
Wednesday, Nov. 9: think + drink (science): Digging Deeper into Dinosaur Discoveries with Jeff Rodgers
Join Jeff Rodgers for an in-depth exploration of our Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Discoveries, New Ideas. The exhibition will be open for an hour before think+drink begins, giving guests the opportunity to come early, check out the dinosaurs and consider their own lingering questions. Then, we'll gather in the Bishop Planetarium for a discussion about all things dinosaur.
- What: think + drink (science)
- Program Topic: Digging Deeper into Dinosaur Discoveries
- When: Exhibition open 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Program begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9
- Where: South Florida Museum's Bishop Planetarium, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton.
- Cost: $3 for Museum Members; $5 for non-members
- RSVP: Tickets required. Purchase now.
|
Saturday, Nov. 12: IQuest: Discovering Dinos Large as Life
IQuest is a program designed especially for students in grades 6 through 8 that offers them an opportunity to use their creative, theatrical, artistic and science skills to solve challenges -- and have a great time doing it. This evening's theme is focused on dinosaurs.
- What: IQuest
- When: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12
- Ages: Students in grades 6-8 (this is a drop-off program; no adults allowed)
- Where: The South Florida Museum, 201 10th St., West, Bradenton, Fla., 34205
- Cost: $5 per student
- Includes: Slice of pizza & a drink
- Pre-registration Required: Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Register now.
|
About the American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is one of the world's preeminent scientific, educational and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses 45 permanent exhibition halls, including the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium, as well as galleries for temporary exhibitions. It is home to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, New York State's official memorial to its 33rd governor and the nation's 26th president, and a tribute to Roosevelt's enduring legacy of conservation. The Museum's five active research divisions and three cross-disciplinary centers support approximately 200 scientists, whose work draws on a world-class permanent collection of more than 33 million specimens and artifacts, as well as specialized collections for frozen tissue and genomic and astrophysical data, and one of the largest natural history libraries in the world.
|
|
About the South Florida Museum
As the largest natural and cultural history museum on Florida's Gulf Coast, the South Florida Museum offers engaging exhibits as well as educational programs that interpret the scientific and cultural knowledge of Florida, the world and our universe. In addition to permanent exhibits, the Museum features a constantly changing lineup of temporary exhibitions -- offering something new to discover with each visit. The Museum includes the all-digital Bishop Planetarium Theater and the Parker Manatee Aquarium. Celebrating its 50th anniversary year, the Bishop Planetarium is the Gulf Coast's premier astronomy education facility, outfitted with a state-of-the-art Planetarium and projection system with stunning multimedia capabilities. The Parker Manatee Aquarium is home to Snooty™, Manatee County's official mascot and the oldest known manatee in the world, as certified by Guinness World Records. Snooty shares his Aquarium pool with other manatees that have been injured or orphaned and are being rehabilitated for return to the wild as part of the Manatee Rehabilitation and Release Partnership.
South Florida Museum hours vary by season. Visit SouthFloridaMuseum.org for details or call 941-746-4131.
|
Follow Us on Social Media
   
|
|
|
| |
|
