FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2004
The Museum of Texas Tech University's newest permanent gallery titled, A Changing World: Dinosaurs, Diversity, and Drifting Continents, proudly opens on Thursday, July 1, 2004.
Public GRAND OPENING ceremonies begin with a ribbon cutting at 1pm near the entrance to the new exhibit hall in the DeVitt Wing of the Museum. At 2pm, curator of Paleontology, Dr. Sankar Chatterjee, will give a short dinosaur talk in the Helen DeVitt Jones Auditorium. Afternoon (1-3pm) and evening (7-8pm) fun, family activities will feature exciting storytelling and take-home DINO-crafts.
The Museum is located at 3301 4th Street; ample free parking is available on the north and west sides of the museum building.
A Changing World: Dinosaurs, Diversity, and Drifting Continents is the culmination of years of research and planning by the Museum, University, and many encouragers and contributors. The gallery showcases some of the most recent and impressive finds from areas in Texas, China, and India.
The Mesozoic Era, known as the "Age of the Dinosaurs," covered the span from 230 to 65 million years ago, divided into three segments, or periods: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.
Rocks at the edge of the Caprock amply represent the earliest period, the Triassic. Museum scientists conduct much of their research into the prehistoric world near Post, Texas, with the kind permission of landowners, and a large section of the new gallery features the results of their investigations.
The Museum of Texas Tech University has a fine collection of Triassic Period specimens and the new hall offers the first public presentation of some fossils, including creatures named for area towns, Texas Tech, discoverers, and patrons, like Postosuchus, Technosaurus, Shuvosaurus, Rileymillerus, and Pseudopalatus lottorum.
Also represented in the gallery are the other two Mesozoic segments: the Jurassic Period by the huge, long-necked Camarasaurs plodding through the mud in the center of the hall; and the Cretaceous Period by a diorama with the velociraptor Deinonychus (the Velociraptor featured in the popular "Jurassic Park" movies) attacking a hapless, teenage duck-bill Tenontosaurus.
The exhibition highlights many prehistoric Texas giants, such as the flying reptile Quetzalcoatlus (KET-zal-co-wat-lus), the world's largest flying creature with a wingspan of over 35 feet, and the earth-shaking titanosaur Alamosaurus, named for the famous Texas landmark.
Included are other Texas dinosaurs from the Glen Rose area in the "Hunter and Hunted" case, and in the "End of an Age" case from the Big Bend region.
One exhibit on the origin of flight in birds emphasizes some of the latest scholarly research, while another display focuses on the often overlooked role of lowly mammals during the "Age of the Dinosaurs."
The gallery features an educational area for school tours and guided programs, and a section on dinosaur eggs and babies, including a clutch of eggs showing infant dinosaurs emerging.
The story wraps up with a frank discussion of the theories surrounding the disappearance of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous Period, about 65 million years ago. Some scientists picture catastrophic events like comet crashes and volcanoes wiping out the ancient world in fire and water, while others speculate on a more gradual decline to extinction for these magnificent creatures.
A common visitor question is, "Are the skeletons on display the real fossils?" The answer is that most are scientifically accurate resin casts, indistinguishable from the real specimens; however, a few are the genuine article. The fact is that most museums today use skeletal replicas for several reasons: real fossils are too delicate; resin bones weigh much less than real fossils and are more economical to use; the real fossils remain safe in the collection areas of museums for research; and, replicas allow local visitors to see specimens from all over the world, as in this new gallery.
A Changing World: Dinosaurs, Diversity, and Drifting Continents is a highlight in the Museum's 75 year history and promises to be a tourism crown jewel for Lubbock and surrounding communities.
Along with the huge Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops horridus in the Main Gallery, the dinosaur gallery will help show the true diversity of the Museum's extensive collections, not only in the arts and humanities, but in the natural sciences, as well.
For more information about the dinosaur gallery, or to request special assistance, call the Museum Education office at (806)742-2432 or email to museum.education@ttu.edu.