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What Big Teeth You Have! Crocodile Exhibit Has Bite
July 18 , 2005 by Kathleen GordenFollowing the extinction of the dinosaurs another creature quickly moved in to claim it’s place at the top of the food chain. About 60 million years ago, during the early Cenozoic Era, it was the fearsome crocodile that ruled as the largest predator on the planet.
On October 1, 2005, the Mesa Southwest Museum will present “When Crocodiles Ruled;” an exhibit researched, developed and produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM). This highly interactive exhibit will run through December 31, 2005.
“When Crocodiles Ruled” tells the earth’s story during the Paleocene Epoch that occurred immediately after the dinosaurs’ extinction. The display is based on fossil discoveries from a site in western North Dakota called Wannagan Creek where the SMM’s paleontology department has been excavating and studying fossils for more than two decades.
As visitors walk through the exhibit they will see life-size dioramas depicting the common theory of what North Dakota looked like 60 million years ago. Instead of dry, open ranch land, it is believed the area was a subtropical swamp filled with crocodiles.
Another component of the exhibit is World Change Central where museum guests can learn about geologic time (the time that the earth has existed), the evolution of plants and animals over time and see how the world’s climate experiences continual changes.
At the Field Camp, visitors will experience the methods paleontologists use to make discoveries, learn how fossils are excavated and studied, search for microfossils and try their hand at assembling the skeleton of an aquatic reptile known as a champsosaur.
Interactive components of this exhibition include hands-on activities about animal ecosystems, animal adaptation, finding microfossils to view through magnifying lenses, stratigraphy slide viewers, the Walk-Through Timeline and more.
For more information on this exhibit visit our Web site at www.mesasouthwest.museum.com or call 480-644-4040.
Arizona’s premier natural history museum, the Mesa Southwest Museum, explores the Southwest’s history from the time before the dinosaurs to the present day. See the largest collection of dinosaur fossils in the state, visit a Spanish mission, look for the lost Dutchman’s treasure, pan for gold in the History Courtyard, experience the diversity of Arizona’s earliest inhabitants, see beautiful examples of Native American pottery, “star” in a made-in Arizona movie and much more. Things are always changing in the museum’s temporary exhibition spaces, which feature exceptional exhibits on art, culture, history and science from around the world. The museum, located at 53 N. Macdonald St., in downtown Mesa, is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and all City holidays. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors (55+) and students with ID and $3 for children 3-12. Museum members and children under 3 are free. Please call the museum at 480.644.2230 or visit our Website at www.mesasouthwestmuseum.com for more information.
The Mesa Southwest Museum is a program of the City of Mesa’s Arts and Cultural Division.
