"Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies" Exhibit
January 23, 2016 - May 1, 2016
Take a rare and exciting look at the life of dinosaurs through their eggs, nests, and embryos!
This remarkable hands-on exhibition includes more than 50 authentic dinosaur eggs and nests collected from all over the globe: including those of each of the major plant and meat-eating dinosaur groups.
Although dinosaur eggs were first identified in the 1920's, their scientific significance was not fully appreciated until the end of the 20th century. Today, dinosaur eggs are recognized for their enormous scientific value and for offering fascinating details and fresh insights into the behavior, growth and evolution of dinosaurs.
This exhibit presents new discoveries about dinosaur reproduction and behavior and introduces some of the fascinating people and science behind these discoveries. This multi-media experience helps give credence to long debated theories that dinosaurs and birds are closely related.
A captivating experience for all ages, the exhibit invites visitors to touch a real dinosaur bone, dig for eggs, experience hands-on exploration stations, and view animated video presentations featuring well-known dinosaur experts. Each science-rich section is enhanced with exciting life-like models of embryos and hatchlings, colorful illustrations of dinosaur family life, and stunning photographs of some of the world's most renowned dinosaur hunters and their discoveries.
"Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies", which is one of the exhibits in the "Hatching the Past" series, was developed by Charlie and Florence Magovern of The Stone Company, Boulder, Colorado in association with the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The Magoverns gained national recognition when their work was featured as the cover story in the May 1996 issue of National Geographic Magazine.
The exhibit is sponsored locally by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science Foundation, Feild Co-Operative Association, Inc., Sanderson Farms, W.A. Taylor Foundation, The Chisholm Foundation, Trustmark Bank, The Walker Foundation, and other generous sponsors.
"Baby Louie" Embryo Model 1996 (pictured above)
This model by paleo-sculptor Brian Cooley was commissioned by National Geographic for the cover of the May 1996 issue. It is based on preliminary scientific interpretations of the fossil hatchling "Baby Louie." This model depicts the fossil as an embryo of a therizinosaur dinosaur. More recently, paleontologists studying the fossil have discovered that its beak-like lower jaw lacked teeth. This new evidence confirms that "Baby Louie" represents a new species of giant oviraptor.
Photograph by Louie Psihoyos
