Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight

A new traveling exhibit, Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight, answers the questions of how dinosaurs are related to birds and how birds evolved. This exhibition presents important original fossils and explains the ideas surrounding them.

The fossils are brought to life through a series of stunning life-size sculptural restorations by world renowned sculptor, Stephen Czerkas. The exhibition contains 25 exquisitely preserved fossils, mostly dating to 125 million years ago, from the famed fossil quarries of Liaoning, China, models, large informative graphics, beautiful photo enlargements of the fossils, and original educational movies on large screen monitors.

The origin of birds and the evolution of flight have been among the greatest scientific mysteries since the first ancient bird, Archaeopteryx (which lived about 150 million years ago), was discovered in Germany in 1860. The beautiful new fossils reveal valuable information about these ancient creatures, as Liaoning’s fine lake silts preserved them in intricate detail. Bearing remnants of skin, scales, and feathers, and conveying important anatomical details of bones and teeth, these fossils have changed our understanding of the origins of feathers. The recent finds also address some questions about the evolution of birds, including how feathers evolved, and when feathers began to be used for flight, leading to a fuller understanding of the relationship between dinosaurs and birds.

Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight was organized and is circulated by The Dinosaur Museum, Utah in association with The Fossil Administration Office, Liaoning, China and the Liaoning Beipiao China Shihetun Museum of Paleontology.

Exhibition Type:

• Upcoming Exhibitions

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