EXPEDITION
DINOSAUR
Traveling Exhibit Proposal
The Palm Beach Museum of Natural History
Minimum Requirements
3,500 sq ft of display area (5,000 sq ft preferred)
12 ft ceiling clearance (15 ft clearance preferred)
Wall space for four to six 8’ x 10’ diorama background panels
Available for 6-8 week (or longer) periods
Expedition Dinosaur takes five days to set up and take down
Assistance by venue staff may be required to unload, set up and break down the exhibit
Venue provides all set up/break down equipment, including pallet jacks, fork lift, etc.
Structure of Exhibit
Hell Creek Diorama – Nanotyrannus vs Juvenile Triceratops (original fossils)
Cheryll the Triceratops – Wall mounted adult dinosaur (original)
Raid of the raptors – Psittacosaurus vs four raptors (replicas)
Dinosaur Attack – Dilong paradoxus vs Pachycephalosaur (Replica and original fossil)
Birds and Pterosaurs of Hell Creek – Five mounted specimens (replicas)
Dinosaur era fossil amber with insects – Actual specimens with enlarged insect replicas
Recreation of dinosaur hunter’s field camp and dig pits
T. rex skull in matrix (replica)
Dinosaur Touch Bone (original 48” femur)
Children’s dinosaur art rubbing station and simulated dinosaur dig pit
This basic version of Expedition Dinosaur can be adjusted via the modification of the number of
displays and specimens to service venues from 2,000 to 200,000 sq. ft.
We welcome your questions regarding “Expedition Dinosaur”
For additional information or to book reservations please contact
Rudolph F. Pascucci
The Palm Beach Museum of Natural History
(561) 729-4246
Expedition Dinosaur Expedition Dinosaur provides the public
with a broad up-to-date view into the world
of the dinosaurs and other fascinating
creatures of their time. Visitors to
Expedition Dinosaur will be able to explore
prehistoric life not only as it existed on land
but will also become witnesses to the rise of
the birds and the origins of flight, the
evolution of flying reptiles, and a view of
actual 65 million year old insects trapped in
fossil amber time capsules.
Standing at the center of the exhibit is a
scene taken from a single dramatic moment
in the struggle of dinosaur life and death. A
young three horned dinosaur faces an
attack by a smaller cousin of Tyrannosaurus
rex. Each is an original, rare skeleton of two
of the latest dinosaurs to be discovered.
Nearby, standing ten feet high is another
authentic three horned dinosaur that could
have been the mother of the doomed
juvenile.
On a day long ago in what is now Siberia, a
lone plant eating dinosaur some eight feet
long has been targeted by a pack of bird-
like raptors. In this dynamic mount, the
raptors are seen racing after their prey,
leaping upon its back, and going for the kill
as they hang from their agonized victim’s
neck with sharp claws and slashing teeth.
Turning to the tree tops and skies of the age
of dinosaurs the expedition focuses upon
the earliest birds and their cousins, the
flying reptiles. Did one evolve from the
other or are they two separate branches in
the tree of life? How and when did the first
feathers come about? Are today’s birds the
last of the dinosaurs? What are the latest
theories of the development and
significance of “birds with teeth”?
Inhabiting these same forests are the
insects of another age. They come to us
now trapped in miniature time capsules,
the result of a careless or unfortunate
moment when they became encased in the
sticky sap of ancient trees. Fossilizing into
nuggets of honey colored amber these
unique and newly discovered specimens
were found in the same rocks as the
dinosaurs of the exhibits central diorama.
These are not fossils! They are the actual
insects that bugged and fed upon the larger
animals seventy million years ago. Do their
bellies contain the blood of the very
dinosaurs seen in this exhibit?
And what of the scientists who search for
the answers, what is it like to live the life of
a paleontologist in the field? How do they
make their discoveries? The expedition
returns to camp, to its dusty tents and
rough field surroundings. Here are the tools
and techniques of the Dinosaur Hunters
The sponsor of Expedition Dinosaur, The
Palm Beach Museum of Natural History, is a
501(c)3 non-profit Florida corporation. They
have more than ten years experience
excavating sites in South Dakota’s famous
Hell Creek formation from which they have
recovered several new species of dinosaurs,
reptiles, fossil birds, and insects in amber.
This last discovery was recently published in
the prestigious Journal of Paleontological
Sciences.
The Dinosaurs of Hell Creek – Central Diorama
Atlantic City, New Jersey July – September 2011
The central diorama of “Expedition Dinosaur” features two rare, actual dinosaur
skeletons. The juvenile Triceratops was discovered in 2005 where it was
excavated from the famous Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. Also from
the Hell Creek Formation is Nanotyrannus, the only mounted specimen of its
kind in existence.
South Florida Science Museum, West Palm Beach, Florida January – May 2012
At sixteen feet long and six feet high at the
hip, Nanotyrannus represents a new, dwarf
species of its larger, more famous cousin
Tyrannosaurus rex.
Dinosaur Attack
Not all dinosaurs were giants.
Here a four foot long Stegoceras
(actual skeleton) defends itself
from the small but vicious meat-
eater Dilong paradoxus (cast
replica), the smallest relative of
T. rex ever found. The scene is
Asia, 70 million years ago.
Cheryll the Triceratops
“Cheryll” is an adult Triceratops that was excavated from South Dakota’s Hell Creek
Formation by the Museum’s paleontologists during the 2003 field season. When Cheryll died
her left side was left exposed on the ground surface where it could be eaten by scavengers or
washed away, leaving only her right side to fossilize. Assembled as a wall mount, Cheryll is
more than twenty feet long and stands an impressive ten feet tall at her hip.
Posing with Cheryll, Museum Curator of Vertebrate
Paleontology Robert DePalma fascinates a young
visitor to Expedition Dinosaur. Almost as tall as she is,
this authentic upper leg bone of a duckbilled dinosaur
is one of the many “hands on” specimens that allows
the public to get a feel for the real thing.
Raid of the Raptors
About the size of a large bird, raptors such as Sinovenator, with their mouths full of razor-
sharp teeth and large flesh-ripping claws on their feet, have been described as “the turkey
from hell”! Evidence suggests that they hunted in packs. Here, four raptors have selected an
eight-foot-long Psittacosaurus as their prey (cast replicas).
A death in Siberia. Raid of the Raptors
features a dynamic mounting of predator
and prey at the moment of attack that is
rarely seen in dinosaur displays.
Birds and Pterosaurs of Hell Creek
Also from the Hell Creek Formation is this as yet unnamed species of pteranodontid that
features a four-foot wingspan. While these flying reptiles represent some of the last of their
kind, this same period saw the rise of our modern species of birds. Included in this exhibit are
two examples of the earliest known Rails ever to be found in the fossil record. The presence
of such flying creatures provides a valuable insight into the nature of the entire ecological
system of the Hell Creek formation.
The exhibit also contains comparative displays of feather development and the evolution of
the wing.
Hell Creek Insects in Amber
The only examples of amber insects
ever found in the Famous Hell Creek
Formation are represented by these
nuggets of amber excavated by the
museum’s field team between 2003
and 2006. There are approximately
fifteen of these insect bearing
nuggets ranging from peanut to golf
ball size.
A score of amber nuggets assembled
from around the world are provided
for comparison with those of Hell
Creek Formation.
Magnified views of high resolutions micro-CT scans
permit the public as never before to view theses
diminutive creatures from the age of giants. These
entombed insects are in fact only about the size of a
sesame seed.
Enlarged Life replicas of the insects produced
through a state-of-the art process of rapid
prototyping (3-demensional printing) will
permit the visitor to look these bugs in the
eye!
These amber insects provided the
information for a ground breaking scientific
paper published in September of 2010.
Dinosaur Hunter’s Field Camp
Life in the field for a paleontologist has not changed much over the last 150 years. The basic
tools remain the pickaxe, the shovel, small hand tools for digging and burlap and plaster for
jacketing bones. They still live in tents and light their nights with field lanterns. Meals are
cooked on field stoves and sleep on a field cot is a welcome relief after a hard day in the field.
Expedition Dinosaur’s field camp comes with actual equipment used by the museum’s teams
on their digs in the American west. As in any camp, a tent is central to the display. Within the
tent visitors can view tables, chairs, cots, lanterns, field desks, and other items that
contribute to survival and comfort in the field. To the side of the tent, a replica of a typical dig
site demonstrates the excavation techniques used by field teams to recover fossilized bones
from the Earth. Actual unprepared slabs of matrix containing a jumble of fossil bone reveal
the jigsaw puzzle that confronts the paleontologist. Fossil bones in various stages of
excavation are used to demonstrate the methods by which fragile bones are removed from
the ground, encased in protective jackets of plaster, and prepared for shipment from the field
to the museum’s preparation lab.
Paleontologists Field camp
and
Dinosaur Dig Pit
Boards, Labels, Signs
Each diorama and specimen is
accompanied by large (example
at right is 16” x 20”) information
panels that provide the visitor
with interesting details and
scientific facts.
Original life illustrations put
flesh on the bones and bring
the skeletons to life!
Original Art and Photographs
Main Diorama back-drop or wall mounted exhibit mural (8’ x 36’)
Wall mounted photo collage of
images from our field expeditions
(seven photos avg. size 3’ x 4’)
Generalized Expedition Dinosaur Lay-out and
Floor Plan
The following hypothetical floor plan arrangement allows for 8-10 foot minimum width walkways to permit easy traffic flow and to include the accommodation of visitors in wheelchairs. This plan can be modified and adapted to fit a variety of locations or room configurations.
Suggested Floor Plan
50’ x 70’
3,500 sq. ft.
Displays of free-standing terrestrial animals are mounted on custom-made bases, temporary
stages, or directly on the exhibit floor. The main dioramas are surrounded by two-foot wide
wooden barriers upon which are attached the exhibit information panels, graphics, maps,
photos. Hands-on and “touch” specimens are also permanently affixed to these barriers. An
additional one foot wide buffer space between the barriers and the diorama platforms has also
been planned for. Certain back-lit information panels require electrical access.
Exhibit floor plan does not include additional area required for food service or retail sales of
exhibit related merchandise.
Basic Exhibit Inventory
Skeletons (Authentic)
1. Nanotyrannus (16’ long)
2. Triceratops (Juvenile, 16’ long)
3. Triceratops (Adult, wall mount, 20’ long)
4. Stegoceras (4’ long)
Skeletons (replica)
1. Psittacosaurus sibericus (8’ long)
2. Sinovenator (turkey size raptors, four)
3. Dilong paradoxus (3’ long)
4. Pteranodon (flying reptiles, three)
5. Prehistoric birds (several small species)
6. Archaeoceratops (small dinosaur 18” long) 7. Hypsilophodont (small dinosaur 18” long)
Miscellaneous Items
1. Tyrannosaurus Sue Skull in Matrix (replica)
2. Psittacosaurus mongoliensis (replica in
matrix)
3. Insects in Amber (authentic)
4. Life-replicas of Amber Insects (enlarged)
5. Simulated dinosaur dig field camp
6. Dinosaur bones in field jackets (authentic)
7. Wall panels - paintings of dinosaur life
8. Dino Teeth and Claws (authentic & replica)
9. Dinosaur egg nest (replica)
10. Touch bone stations
11. Children’s dinosaur dig box
12. Children’s dinosaur art rubbing stations
______________________________________________________________________________
Psittacosaur in Matrix Oviraptor Egg Nest Oviraptor Claw
Children’s Dinosaur Dig Box
The children’s dig box provides young paleontologists with hands-on experience
of what it is like to be a real dinosaur hunter. Using safe, soft-bristle brushes
children search through a simulated field matrix consisting of biodegradable
corn-husk and/or organic pellets to uncover a variety of dinosaur skeletons and
bones, all firmly anchored to a firm base in order to allow continued use over
the course of the exhibit. Simply sweep the material over their discoveries and
the dig pit is ready for its next set of adventures!
Exhibit Highlights
Actual dinosaur skeletons of young Triceratops and “dwarf” T. rex.
Wall mounted adult Triceratops standing 10’ high at hip
Dynamic dinosaur attack diorama featuring five replica skeletons
The latest discoveries in dinosaur era birds, flying reptiles, and
insects in amber
Dinosaur hunter’s field camp
Children’s art kiosks and simulated dinosaur dig pit
The Palm Beach Museum of Natural History
WWW.pbmnh.org
2805 East Oakland Park Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33306
P: (561) 729-4246 F: (954) 847-9711
WWW.PBMNH.ORG