Discover dinosaurs by seeing, touching

  • By Andrea McInnis / Herald Writer
  • Thursday, May 24, 2007 9:00pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

Attention, all lovers of prehistoric things: The dinosaurs are coming! The dinosaurs are coming!

When the Pacific Science Center’s doors open Saturday, a new, larger-than-life exhibit will be ready to greet the public.

The staff is confident the unique nature of “Colossal Fossils: Dinosaurs Around the World” will be enough to attract those who are curious about, as well as those who are already familiar with, the world of dinosaurs.

“In this exhibit, we have brought together considerable resources, providing both cast skeleton replicas – some as long as 50 feet and as high as 18 feet – and real dinosaur eggs,” said Joe Barnes, the Science Center’s vice president of marketing.

“By (our) providing these artifacts and replicas, along with the scientific and educational materials about them, and special hands-on interactives,” he said, “guests will gain new insights about dinosaurs. After all, how many times can you stand next to a giant dinosaur skeleton?”

Visitors will, indeed, be able to come face-to-face with real dinosaur nests, to learn about what’s inside dinosaur eggs and how they can be preserved for millions of years.

Visitors can also participate in hands-on activities, like unearthing bones during archaeological digs in three pits positioned throughout the exhibit.

Another aspect of “Colossal Fossils” is “Chinasaurs: The Great Dinosaurs of China,” which, according to press materials, explains origins of flight and feathers, and shows similarities between North American and Asian dinosaurs.

To complete the experience, an IMAX 3D film will be presented for the duration of the exhibit.

The film, “Dinosaurs Alive 3D,” follows paleontologists as they hunt for remains in North America and Mongolia, and brings the dinosaurs to life through computer graphic techniques. Audiences can feel like they are actually there watching the huge creatures move and interact with each other.

The “Chinasaurs” portion of the exhibit will be moved into the building’s permanent dinosaur display area after the exhibit ends Jan. 6.

Pacific Science Center photos

Clockwise from left: A juvenile mamenchisaurus, a Tsitacosaurus, a Monolophosaurus and Tuojiangosaurus fighting.

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