CALENDAR of EVENTS

“Sneak preview” Open House, Friday, September 30

Grad student Katie Brakora uses an air scribe to remove matrix from a fossil bone. Photo courtesy of Michelle Stocker.

From 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm, there will be a free “sneak preview” Community Open House and you are invited!

• Participate in hands-on activities all during the Open House.
• Attend News about Dinosaurs demonstrations at 12:30, 1:30, and 2:30
• See the one-woman show, Fossil Finding with Annie Alexander, at 4:30 and 5:30
• Then at 6:30 pm, tour the exhibit with UCMP paleontologist Matt Wedel and attend an “Ask a Paleontologist” question & answer session afterwards.

Opening Day, Sunday, October 2

One hundred years ago, the dinosaur we know as Tyrannosaurus rex got its name. Join us on opening day of Big Dinos Return with a gigantic birthday party for T. rex! UCMP preparator Jane Mason will demonstrate how fossils are cast and prepared for study from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will also be News About Dinosaurs demonstrations at 11:00 am, 1:00 and 3:00 pm; Fossil Finding with Annie Alexander at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 pm, and hands-on activities from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. The birthday cake will be cut at 2:00 pm!

The Dinosaurs (ongoing)

Robotic dinosaurs and fossil displays focus on the dinosaur-bird connection. The robot cast includes Tyrannosaurus rex, Edmontosaurus, Gallimimus, Maiasaura, Velociraptor, Protoceratops, and Oviraptor. Smaller models of a therizinosaur, Archaeopteryx, Caudipteryx, and Sinosauropteryx will also be on display.

3-D model of the forearms of Deinonychus. Photo courtesy of Ryan Carney.

Demonstrations & Hands-on Activities (ongoing)

Current UCMP research will be explained through demonstrations and hands-on activities. Topics include dinosaur growth rates, the formation of dinosaur bone, the effects of climate on dinosaur bone formation, the dating of dinosaur fossils, trackways, and the grasping motion of Deinonychus. Ongoing News about Dinosaurs demonstrations take place daily:
   Weekdays at 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30
   Weekends at 11:00, 1:00, and 3:00
   Hands-on activities from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

• November 10, 7:30 pm — The smallest Triceratops skull known: New observations on horned dinosaur growth and behavior
  Some members of the family of horned dinosaurs had the largest skulls of any terrestrial vertebrate, but UCMP is now home to the smallest Triceratops skull known to date. In this presentation, paleontologist Mark Goodwin will acquaint you with this new tiny skull and the latest dinosaur research on Triceratops.
  NOTE: Attendance for this talk will be limited to the first 100 people to register on-line, so don’t delay — register now! The event is free for Lawrence Hall of Science members and Friends of UCMP; for all others, the cost is $5, payable at the door. Registration must be done in advance, on-line — there is no on-site registration.

• November 20, 2:00 pm — Carving your Thanksgiving Dinosaur
  What do dinosaurs and turkeys have in common? Find out as UCMP paleontologist Matt Wedel carves up a Thanksgiving dinosaur. Find out more about turkey/dinosaur relations and skeletal similarities.

Special Program

Enjoy Fossil Finding with Annie Alexander, presented by the Lawrence Hall of Science Discovery Theatre, Sundays, October 2, 16, and 30; November 13 and 27; and December 4 and 18 at 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30. It’s a one-woman show about an extraordinary woman who led expeditions hunting for prehistoric fossils in California and who, incidentally, was responsible for the creation of the UC Museum of Paleontology.

Back to UCMP dinosaur-related links.
For more information, see the LHS Big Dinos Return page.