Cultural Compass / Science
Ultimate Dinosaurs
Step into the shoes of a paleontologist and uncover some of the most significant dinosaur discoveries from the Southern Hemisphere over the last two decades. in Ultimate Dinosaurs: Meet a New Breed of Beast.
Ultimate Dinosaurs: Meet a New Breed of Beast is a hands-on, interactive special exhibition opening Saturday, October 8, 2022, at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Downtown Miami. Featuring a new breed of dinosaurs that evolved in isolation in South America, Africa, and Madagascar, this exhibition showcases rarely seen specimens that are brought to life like never before with cutting-edge technology. Th exhibit presents 13 dinosaur casts, in addition to authentic dinosaur fossils, and touchable fossilized dinosaur specimens. On view through Sunday, April 23, 2023.
Ultimate Dinosaurs tells the story of the break-up of the supercontinent Pangaea into the continents that we know today and the ways that continental drift affected the evolution of dinosaurs during the Mesozoic Era, 250–65 million years ago. As Pangaea divided first into Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south, and later into the many continents we know today, dinosaurs were passengers on these drifting land masses. Visitors to the exhibition will discover that an amazing diversity of species evolved because of this phenomenon. Dinosaurs imposed geographic location helped promote their evolution into an incredible array of unusual forms that dominated wherever they lived. The exhibition seeks to answer the question: why are southern dinosaurs so unique and bizarre, and why are they so different from their North American counterparts?
“This exciting exhibition brings to life some of the most unique and bizarre dinosaurs ever discovered and we’re thrilled to be able to showcase them at Frost Science” says Dr. Cary Woodruff, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology a Frost Science. “The use of augmented reality, combined with colorful environments and these fantastic specimens will provide a new virtual experience over what you see in front of you. This isn’t your typical dinosaur exhibition!”
The exhibition features include
● Eoraptor, a bipedal dinosaur that lived about 228 million years ago that had two different kinds of teeth — both serrated and flat — indicating that it was an omnivore.
● Malawisaurus, one of the earliest titanosaurs, was a sauropod from Africa. Like most titanosaurs, Malawisaurus had bones in its skin, like those in modern crocodiles.
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● Suchomimus, a spinosaur from the Sahara Desert in Niger. This animal was 33 feet long and would have weighed more than 6600 pounds.
● Majungasaurus, a theropod from Madagascar.
● Rapetosaurus, a titanosaur named after the mischievous Malagasy folklore giant, Rapeto. As an adult, Rapetosaurus may have been up to 60 feet long.
● Amargasaurus, an herbivorous sauropod from Argentina, had a distinctive double row of spines on its neck and back. These colored, spine-like sails may have been used to signal other members of its species.
● Giganotosaurus, the largest carnivorous dinosaur from Gondwana and perhaps the largest land predator ever. Giganotosaurus is similar in size to Laurasia’s more famous Tyrannosaurus rex.
In addition to seeing specimens, learning more about the adaptations that made them unique and using augmented reality technology to make them come to life, visitors to Ultimate Dinosaurs can expect hands-on activities that will help them explore physical characteristics like crests and frills, stride patterns, and more.
Ultimate Dinosaurs: Meet a New Breed of Beast is presented by the Science Museum of Minnesota. The exhibition was created and produced by The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.
Ultimate Dinosaurs: Meet a New Breed of Beast will be on view from Saturday, October 8, 2022, through Sunday, April 23, 2023, inside the Hsiao Family Special Exhibition Gallery on the first floor of the museum. Admission to Ultimate Dinosaurs: Meet a New Breed of Beast is included with all museum admission tickets.
About the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Located in Downtown Miami’s Maurice A. Ferré Park, the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is a leading-edge science museum dedicated to sharing the power of science, sparking wonder and investigation, and fueling innovation for the future. For more information: frostscience.org.
