Museum of Ancient Life The Museum of Ancient Life has the distinction of
being the world's largest display of mounted dinosaurs. Not only will you meet
our fierce prehistoric friends at the museum, though, you'll also become a part
of their world. While you're weaving through the exhibits, chirps of insects and
growls of ancient creatures greet you in each hall. Exhibits like the Erosion
Table and the Fossil Dig give you an opportunity be a part of the science of
paleontology. Needless to say, this is not an ordinary museum. Museum of Ancient
Life Fact Sheet Opened to the public in June of 2000 The defining characteristic
of the Museum of Ancient Life is found in its hands-on approach to exhibits
Guests are invited to touch actual fossils and feel real dinosaur bones and
eggs, as well as other displays Exhibit halls are designed to immerse guests in
the subject matter, using expansive murals, soundtracks, plants and gurgling
streams There are 50 interactive, hands-on displays within the exhibit halls
With 60 complete skeletal displays, the Museum of Ancient Life is the world's
largest dinosaur exhibit The Museum of Ancient is home of the most extensive
display of original fossils in
the state of Utah A working paleontology lab operated by Western
Paleontology is located within the museum and can be observed by guests as they
tour the exhibit halls Once a month the museum hosts Dinosnorzzz a dinosaur
slumber party for children of all ages (adults also welcome), which includes a
behind the scenes tour, a movie at the XANGO Mammoth Screen - 3D, snacks,
exhibits, activities, breakfast and classes Museum Monday is held weekly and
includes special activities for families. The Museum of Ancient Life is home to
the XANGO Mammoth Screen - 3D, featuring a 6-story, large-format movie screen
Dinosaurs (Greek δεινόσαυρος, deinosauros) were the dominant vertebrate animals
of terrestrial ecosystems for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic
period (about 230 million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous period (65
million years ago), when most of them became extinct in the CretaceousTertiary
extinction event. The 10,000 living species of birds have been classified as
dinosaurs. The 1861 discovery of the primitive bird Archaeopteryx first
suggested a close relationship between dinosaurs and birds. Aside from the
presence of fossilized feather impressions, Archaeopteryx was very similar to
the contemporary small predatory dinosaur Compsognathus. Research has since
identified theropod dinosaurs as the most likely direct ancestors of birds; most
paleontologists today regard birds as the only surviving dinosaurs, and some
suggest that dinosaurs and birds should be grouped into one biological class.[1]
Aside from birds, crocodilians are the only other close relatives of dinosaurs
to have survived until the present day. Like dinosaurs and birds, crocodilians
are members of Archosauria, a group of reptiles that first appeared in the very
late Permian and came to predominate in the mid-Triassic. Through the first half
of the 20th century, most of the scientific community believed dinosaurs to have
been slow, unintelligent cold-blooded animals. Most research conducted since the
1970s, however, has supported the view that dinosaurs were active animals with
elevated metabolisms and numerous adaptations for social interaction. The
resulting transformation in the scientific understanding of dinosaurs has
gradually filtered into popular consciousness. Since the first dinosaur fossils
were recognized in the early nineteenth century, mounted dinosaur skeletons have
become major attractions at museums around the world. Dinosaurs have become a
part of world culture and remain consistently popular. They have been featured
in best-selling books and films (notably
Jurassic Park), and new discoveries are regularly covered by the
media. The term "dinosaur" was coined in 1842 by Sir Richard Owen and derives
from Greek δεινός (deinos) "terrible, powerful, wondrous" + σαῦρος (sauros)
"lizard". It is sometimes used informally to describe other prehistoric
reptiles, such as the pelycosaur Dimetrodon, the winged pterosaurs, and the
aquatic ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, although none of these animals
were dinosaurs.