Okanagan residents can come face to face with ancient giants.
Vernon’s Okanagan Science Centre will host Dinosaurs Unearthed from March 4 to Aug. 31.
“This exhibition brings key new discoveries to the forefront, and shows guests how fossil discoveries translate into conclusions about dinosaur appearance and behavior,” said Jim Swingle, executive director.
“New discoveries are happening every day, so it’s a fascinating time to introduce kids to paleontology.”
The exhibit is expected to attract about 25,000 visitors to the science centre.
Dinosaurs Unearthed offers a new look at the appearance of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. A life-size, feathered animatronic tyrannosaurus rex juvenile and a feathered deinonychus serve as the visual centerpiece of the exhibition.
“The experience emphasizes the human fascination with dinosaurs at a time when dinosaur science is accelerating at a rapid rate,” said Swingle.
“New discoveries are happening at an exponential pace compared to a century ago and common understanding about dinosaur appearance and behaviour is always being re-examined.”
More than a dozen fossils from China and North America will be on display, including skulls, eggs, claws, teeth and a giant forelimb and scapula, plus a full-scale gasosaurus skeleton. The exhibition also features protoceratops, the first of the early cretaceous horned-face dinosaurs found in China.
“Whether it’s staring up into the eyes of a feathered T.rex juvenile, getting hands dirty playing paleontologist in the dig site or taking in the large-scale graphics, Dinosaurs Unearthed offers a unique and exciting learning experience for guests of all ages,” said Swingle.
For more information, go to www.okscience.ca or call 250-545-3644.