Dinosaurs Take Flight

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Dinosaurs Take Flight

• Revising the exhibit

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Why is this exhibit important?

• Evolution as a process
• How scientists use evidence to support theory
• Popular topic with public

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Objectives of this presentation

• Clarify exhibit ideas
• Improve explanation using current exhibit

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Topics

• History of theory
• Expand comparison
• Phylogenetic trees
• Use the exhibit as is but better

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History of theory

• Discovery of Archaeopteryx
• 1861 London specimen
• 1876 Berlin specimen

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Berlin specimen-1876

• Considered by many to be the most important
  natural history specimen ever found

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Interpretation of plaque
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Features of Archaeopteryx

• Three fingers with claws
• Teeth
• Long bony tail
• Flight feathers

claws
teeth
flight feathers
tail
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Artistic recreations
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Skeleton studies
Fastovsky
Ostrum
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History of theory

• Controversies
• Thomas Huxley - its a (reptile) bird!
• John Ostrum Deinonychus (1969)
• Origin of flight
• Wishbone from Allosaurus (1996)

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T. rex has a wishbone!

• 1996 Allosaurus furcula (wishbone) found
• The furcula is now considered a feature of
  theropod coelurosaur dinos, including T. rex

furcula
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Two-way to three-way comparison
bird
dromaeosaur

• Insert Archaeopteryx

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Dromaeosaurid features

• Teeth
• Furcula (wishbone)
• Long hollow bones
• Three-toed foot
• Long bony tail
• Swivel wristbone

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Semi-lunate carpel bone

• This swivel wristbone allowed some theropod
  dinosaurs to fold their long arms against the body

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Archaeopteryx features

• Teeth
• Furcula
• Hollow bones
• Three-toed foot
• Long bony tail
• Swivel wristbone
• Plus..

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Feathers!

• Archaeopteryx had downy feathers and flight
  feathers
• Having flight feathers is what makes
  Archaeopteryx so important

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Modern bird features

• No teeth
• Furcula
• Hollow bones
• Three-toed foot
• Bony tail replaced by feathers
• Swivel wristbone
• Keel to support flight muscles

keel
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Forelimb comparison

• Modern bird
• Archaeopteryx
• Ornitholestes
• Deinonychus

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Three-way comparison
Dromaeosaurid
Archaeopteryx
Bird
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Phylogenetic trees a way to summarize theory
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A geneology of dinosaurs
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A geneology of archosaurs
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New discoveries bring new controversies

• Protarchaeopteryx other feathered dinosaurs
• Controversial fakes
• Science takes time

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Whats the new story?

• Dinosaurs did not go extinct
• We now distinguish between
• non-avian and avian dinosaurs

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Improving the exhibit with docent interpretation

• Use Archaeopteryx plaque to make 3-way comparison
• Use phylogenetic tree to show common features
• Ask visitors, Where are the birds? Where are the
  dinosaurs?

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Questions for kids

• Have a T. rex for Thanksgiving dinner?
• How many people would it take to break the
  wishbone?
• Look on the Jurassic Island for the furcula
  (wishbone) on Saurophaganax.
• What modern birds remind you of dinosaur
  predators?

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Whats the new story?
Dinosaurs are everywhere!
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In other words
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old dinosaur
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new dinosaur