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What You May Not Know about Dinosaurs

10/20/2020

The Powerhouse Science Center hosts a fun exhibit about dinosaurs curated by the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Learn about the latest discoveries and research. Sponsored by TruWest and Keesee Motors.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT BIRDS ARE LIVING DINOSAURS? THAT SOME DINOSAUR SPECIES TRAVELED IN HERDS, AND A TYRANNOSAURUS REX PROBABLY COULDN'T RUN ALL THAT FAST? YOU'RE WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK BROUGHT TO YOU BY TRU WEST AUTO IN DURANGO AND CORTEZ, I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE. YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE LATEST DINOSAUR THEORIES AND DISCOVERIES IN A NEW TRAVELING EXHIBIT ON DISPLAY AT THE POWERHOUSE SCIENCE CENTER IN DURANGO. THE EXHIBIT, DINOSAUR DISCOVERIES, ANCIENT FOSSILS, NEW IDEAS, FEATURES LIFE-SIZED CASTINGS OF DINOSAUR FOSSILS, INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS AND VIDEO PRESENTATIONS FROM THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY IN NEW YORK. IT'S THE FIRST SUCH EXHIBIT THAT THE POWERHOUSE SCIENCE CENTER HAS HOSTED. POWERHOUSE SPOKESPERSON TERESA CRAFT SAID THE SCIENCE CENTER OBTAINED THE EXHIBIT FOR WHAT SHE CALLED A SCREAMING DEAL BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, AND IT WANTED TO OFFER SOMETHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR SOUTHWEST COLORADO RESIDENTS TO ENJOY.


EVERYBODY LOVES DINOSAURS. AND WE'RE HOPING TO DRAW IN THE YOUNG, THE OLD, EVERYBODY IN BETWEEN TO COME SEE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SAUROPODS; WE HAVE TERAPODS LIFE-SIZE TO SCALE. I MEAN, YEAH, I'M JUST BLOWN AWAY BY THE TYPES OF FOSSILS THAT WE HAVE.

 

THE EXHIBIT TOOK ABOUT A WEEK TO ASSEMBLE AND OPENED ON OCTOBER 3. LIEF FORTLOUIS, THE AMERICAN MUSEUM'S TRAVELING CURATOR, SAID THE EXHIBIT PROVIDES A LOOK AT THE LATEST DISCOVERIES AND THEORIES THAT PALEONTOLOGISTS HAVE DEVELOPED.


IN THE LAST 20, 25 YEARS OR SO, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EXPLORATION, A LOT OF DISCOVERIES, AND A LOT OF NEW TECHNIQUES FOR LEARNING ABOUT DINOSAURS. SO SOME OF THE VIDEO PRESENTATIONS, FOR INSTANCE, ARE THINGS LIKE BIOMECHANICS AND HOW COMPUTER MODELING CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW DINOSAURS MAY HAVE MOVED AND HOW THEIR BODIES WORKED. THERE'S ALSO SOME INTERESTING COMPARATIVE STUDIES WHERE, AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE NOW THINK THAT A LOT OF DINOSAURS ACTUALLY HAD FEATHERS AND THAT DINOSAURS HAVE SORT OF EVOLVED INTO LIVING BIRDS. BIRDS ARE TECHNICALLY LIVING DINOSAURS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF NEW EXPLORATION, A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT DINOSAURS. THAT'S CHANGED IT FROM SORT OF THE LUMBERING GREEN CREATURES TO THESE REALLY DYNAMIC, EXCITING BEASTS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES. WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT EGG-LAYING HABITS AND HOW WE CAN LOOK AT CONTEMPORARY ANIMALS AND START TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY MIGHT HAVE INTERACTED SOCIALLY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.


ADMISSION IS $7 FOR CHILDREN, AND $8 FOR ADULTS. VISITORS WILL BE LIMITED TO 35 PEOPLE IN THE EXHIBIT AT A TIME. HOURS VARY BY DAY. TO SEE A SCHEDULE, VISIT POW SCI DOT ORG. THANKS FOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK. LISTEN TO OUR STORIES ANY TIME, ANY WHERE ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP. I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.


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