Cretaceous-Sea-Diorama. Courtesy photoFCMD News:
For as long as dinosaurs walked the Earth, flying animals called pterosaurs ruled the skies.
They ranged from the size of a sparrow to that of a two-seater plane. Close relatives of dinosaurs, these extraordinary winged reptiles—the first back-boned animals to evolve powered flight, and the only vertebrates to develop this ability besides birds and bats—are the focus of the intriguing exhibition opening at 10 a.m., Nov. 17.
The largest exhibition about these flying reptiles ever mounted in the United States, Pterosaurs highlights the latest research by American Museum of Natural History scientists and leading paleontologists around the world and features rare pterosaur fossil casts from Italy, Germany, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil as well as life-size models, videos, and interactive exhibits that immerse visitors in the mechanics of pterosaur flight, including a motion sensor-based interactive that allows you to use your body to “pilot” two species of pterosaurs through virtual prehistoric landscapes.
“Despite persistently captivating our popular imagination, pterosaurs are among the least well-understood large animals from the age of dinosaurs,” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “In the past decade, however, there has been an explosion of pterosaur research and new fossil discoveries including by Museum scientists and the exhibition’s curatorial team. Showcasing scientifically accurate information, this exhibition presents these fascinating winged reptiles, compares them to both dinosaurs of yesteryear and modern day birds and bats, and explores the biomechanics of pterosaur flight.”
The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is excited to bring this exhibit to Northern Colorado and the surrounding region, joining New York, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles on this new exhibit’s travel itinerary. Additional information regarding the exhibit may be found at www.prehistoricair.com.
Quetzalcoatlus-model. Courtesy photo