PHILADELPHIA, September 3, 2013

A scene from Dinosaurs Unearthed. Visit our Press Room for more images.

Roaring, thrashing, life-size dinosaurs and the awe-inspiring stories of prehistoric earth unfold starting Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University when Dinosaurs Unearthed makes its East Coast debut.

State-of-the-art and based on the latest scientific evidence—down to the protofeathers on the juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex—the exhibit features 13 full-size animatronic dinosaurs in dynamic naturalistic settings. They swat their long tails, swing their bulging necks and stretch their jaws wide to reveal rows of daggerlike teeth. Full-size Jurassic Period skeletons, a comprehensive collection of real fossils and fossil casts, hands-on activities, and compelling stories about dinosaur behavior and appearance combine for an engaging experience for visitors of all ages.

Dinosaurs Unearthed opens Oct. 12, with extra activities for opening weekend, and runs through March 30, 2014. There is a $5 fee to enter the exhibit, in addition to regular museum admission.

The Dinosaur Experience

Each of the hand-carved animatronic dinosaurs in the exhibit is powered by customized mechanical technology and a dynamic jointing system that allows the dinosaurs to move smoothly and realistically for up to eight separate gestures.

“Unlike looking at a mounted dinosaur skeleton, which is thrilling in its own way, life-size animatronic versions of real dinosaurs will help visitors understand that these were living, breathing animals,” said Academy paleontologist Dr. Ted Daeschler, also an associate professor in Drexel University’s Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science. “They weren’t monsters or mythical creatures, but vital parts of their ecosystems, just like any other animal, though sometimes on a bigger scale.”

One compelling scene set in a desert in Mongolia depicts one of the few known occurrences of predation among dinosaurs. It shows Velociraptor and Protoceratops in the moments before they become locked in battle. Another scene, called Predator Trap, shows a juvenile Stegosaurus and a group of juvenile Allosaurus hopelessly stuck in a mud pit.

Here are some other features:

• A Velociraptor and juvenile T. rex covered in protofeathers (precursors of bird feathers) and a Microraptor displaying its long flight feathers, offer a visual representation of how common understanding about the appearance of some dinosaurs has shifted.
• In the Make Me Move activity, visitors can take part by using a computer and console to control the movements of an interactive dinosaur.
• Two full-size skeleton casts of Gasosaurus and Huayangosaurus, mid-Jurassic dinosaurs discovered in China in the 1980s, bear a remarkable resemblance to well-known Late Jurassic North American dinosaurs.
• Real fossils include an Oviraptor egg, Spinosaurus and mosasaur teeth, and the ever-popular coprolite (dino poop).
• There are more than a dozen fossil casts of a skull, claw, spine and various other impressive body parts.
• Compelling, hands-on activities include a dig site for young paleontologists and games that explore dinosaur movement and anatomy.

Parts of the exhibit are located in other parts of the museum and are open to all Academy visitors:

• An animatronic Ruyangosaurus, an 11-foot-tall juvenile sauropod described from China in 2009, will fill the Art of Science Gallery, along with touchable fossil casts.
• Currently in Dinosaur Hall is an animatronic juvenile Yangchuanosaurus, a predator from China that was similar in size and appearance to its North American contemporary, Allosaurus.
• A 40-foot-long animatronic T. rex will stand guard outside the museum’s front door through March 30.

This exhibit was created by Dinosaurs Unearthed, a private company that creates indoor and outdoor exhibits around the world. Exhibit media partner is 6abc. Sponsors are Diversified Search and VWR Charitable Foundation.

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To download images of the exhibit, visit the Press Room.

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