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Chicago dino sights and sites
I spent three business and pleasure days in Chicago,
taking in the dinosaur and related sites. The
Jobaria/Dinosaur Giants exhibit at the Navy Pier is
extremely well done. Navy Pier has a glass-enclosed
exhibit space, with shops, an IMAX theatre,
restaurants, and an amusement park outside. The
Jobaria adult specimen is mounted in a rearing
position, protecting the sub-adult. These are casts,
but there is a real bone (a femur) on display for the
children to touch. A cast of Afrovenator menaces
(oops, this isn't Reuters) nearby.
I was in attendance when Gabrielle Lyon met with a
group of 5th graders to talk about the exhibit and the
expedition to Niger. She has a rare talent for
conveying the excitement of scientific discoveries to
youngsters, and the kids were totally enthralled. They
had just visited the lab at the University of Chicago
and now could see the results of the prep work and hear
about the expedition. Gabrielle is the director of
Project Exploration, a foundation which has an
ambitious and impressive vision for combining science
with education, including Sisters in Science and the Junior Paleontologists
program.
I also saw the Suchomimus on display at the Children's
Museum, which is connected to Navy Pier. This specimen
is amazing to see in person, with its unbelieveably
narrow snout.
During my stay, I was pleased to talk with Jack Conrad,
Jeff Wilson, and Hans Larsson. Dr. Sereno's lab at the
University of Chicago reminded me of the quotation from
Howard Carter, when asked if he could see anything upon
peering into Tutankahmen's tomb: "Yes, wonderful
things." Wait for the papers!
A side visit to the Field Museum to sort-of see Sue
revealed the McDonald's Fossil Preparation Lab and a
great barrier which blocked the Sue mount from the
public. They are running "Sue, the Inside Story" on a
continuous loop by the lab. The short film features
Chris Brochu and an abbreviated story of Sue's past and
future. The grand opening is May 17. I also saw the
Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit while there. Attending this
on the day after its opening was probably not the most
uncrowded of conditions, but gave one an idea of what
visitors to the Sue circus will be facing.
I was also privileged to visit with John Lanzendorf and
see his spectacular paleo art collection in place
before it goes on display at the Field to coincide with
the Sue opening. John has sponsored an annual award
for paleo artists (the John J. Lanzendorf PaleoArt
Award), to be given out at the annual SVP meetings.
(See the SVP site for details on applying.)
For those who missed the Jobaria/Dinosaur Giants
exhibit, it is heading for the National Geographic
headquarters in Washington, D.C. soon after its March
19 close in Chicago.
Mary
mkirkaldy@aol.com