Press Release
For Immediate Release January 2, 2012
Media Contact Cynthia Ehlinger Marketing Associate 203 413-6756 | [email protected]
Take a Walk Through the Dinosaur Age. Chinasaurs: Dinosaur Discoveries from China Opens January 26, 2013 at Bruce Museum
Szechuanosaurus Szechuan Province, China Late Jurassic Period, 160 to 144 million years ago
Since the first paleontological expedition to Mongolia by Roy Chapman Andrews of the American Museum of Natural History in the 1920s, the allure of discovering exotic Asian dinosaurs has been the dream of every paleontologist. Subsequently, dinosaurs from China have been unearthed revealing their relationships to birds as evidenced by the presence of feathers together with scales. Several of the most spectacular of these dinosaurs are coming to the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, beginning January 26 and continuing through April 21, 2013.
Chinasaurs: Dinosaur Discoveries from China welcomes visitors to walk among the skeletons, skulls, nests and eggs of more than a dozen of these rare Asian dinosaurs. From the huge 32-foot long, meat- eating Yangchuanosaurus to the gazelle-sized plant eaters such as Psittacosaurus, the prehistoric fossils of the Far East provide an exciting experience for dinosaur enthusiasts.
Skeletons of all sizes from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods tell the tale of dinosaur diversification and shifting continents. Maps, video and activity tables help visitors of all ages learn more about the specimens on view. One display features a Jurassic battle between the plated, plant-eating Tuojiangosaurus with a spiked tail and the large meat-eating Monolophosaurus with teeth like steak Page 1 of 3
Press Release knives. The long tail feathers and fused bones of Confusiusornis indicate that it was an early precursor to birds, and evidence suggests that male and female looked different, like many birds today.
Chinasaurs offers a glimpse of the unprecedented evolution of dinosaurs and their dominance over the world for more than 155 million years.
About the Bruce Museum Explore Art and Science at the Bruce Museum, located at One Museum Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm; closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students up to 22 years, $6 for seniors and free for members and children under 5 years. Individual admission is free on Tuesday. Free on-site parking is available and the Museum is accessible to individuals with disabilities. For additional information, call the Bruce Museum at (203) 869-0376 or visit the website at www.brucemuseum.org.
Press Preview for Chinasaurs
Save the Date! Friday, January 25, 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Press Preview and Tour of Chinasaurs: Dinosaur Discoveries from China. Please RSVP to Director of Marketing and Communications Troy Ellen Dixon at [email protected] or 203-413-6735.
Exhibition Programs for Chinasaurs
Wednesday, February 6, 12:30 – 1:15 pm. Look and See: Dinosaurs. A program designed for children ages 3 – 5 years and their adult caregivers, who will explore the Museum’s galleries through hands-on experiences, crafts, stories and more. Children will explore the exhibition Chinasaurs: Dinosaur Discoveries from China and then create their own balloon-a-saurus. Members $5, non-members $7 per child, per class. Parents/guardians are free. For reservations, call the Museum at 203-869-0376.
Thursdays, February 7, March 7 and April 4, 7:00 pm. Lecture Series: Dinosaur Discoveries A series of three lectures by leading paleontologists who will discuss the evolution of dinosaurs and the latest research on the connections between dinosaurs and birds. Lectures are free to Bruce Museum members and $5 at the door for non-members. Reservations are strongly recommended by calling the Museum at 203-413-6740 or emailing name and number of guests to: [email protected]. The Museum galleries will open at 6:00 pm. Page 2 of 3
Press Release
February 7: The Rise and Alleged Demise of the Dinosaurs Lowell Dingus, PhD, Associate Research Curator, Vertebrate Paleontology Division, American Museum of Natural History, and Project Director of the Yale Peabody Museum Great Hall, will provide an overview of the evolution of dinosaurs, hypotheses about their extinction (e.g., mammals eating their eggs, meteor impact, volcanism), and finish by posing the question as to whether or not they are really extinct.
March 7: Dinosaurs Among Us Mark A. Norell, PhD, Chairman of Paleontology and Curator of Dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History, will retrace the steps of how scientists in the 1890s first pondered the idea that dinosaurs were closely related to birds, the hundred year debate that followed, and the systematic discovery of dinosaurs with bird like characteristics, including feathered dinosaurs.
April 4: Dinosaur and Human Evolution: Inextricably Linked? Jacques Gauthier, PhD, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology and Vertebrate Zoology, Yale Peabody Museum will discuss why understanding evolutionary processes in dinosaurs contributes to the evolution of human thought and the understanding of how the evolution works.
Sunday, February 24, 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Dinosaurs Family Day. Fun, educational activities for the entire family include a gallery hunt through the exhibition Chinasaurs: Dinosaur Discoveries from China, hands- on craft activities, and at 3:00 p.m. Jim West’s Puppet Production of DINOSAURS!, a TheatreWorks USA presentation. Fossil, the Dinosaur detective, mixes fun and facts in this colossal show inspired by everyone's favorite prehistoric creatures. Mozart, Beethoven, Mahler, Stravinsky and Prokofiev provide the rich musical score. All activities are free with Museum admission, and are suitable for people of all ages and abilities.
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