Meet the Tyrannosaur family at Fernbank Museum's newest exhibit

The Albany Herald, Ga.
·2 min read

Jun. 25—ATLANTA — With another edition of the "Jurassic Park" series of feature films set to pack movie houses this summer, Fernbank Museum is doing a bit of paleontology digging of its own with a new exhibit, "Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family," which is currently showing and runs through Sept. 5.

The exhibit spotlights the Tyrannosaur family tree, ranging from small feathered creatures of the early Jurassic period to the top predators of the Cretaceous. Perhaps the best-known member of the family, T. Rex, is just one of the members of the Tyrannosaur clan. It's been said that early versions of the Tyrannosaur weren't really all that scary, but the small, feathered and long-armed animal evolved to become the predator we all know and remember.

Developed by the Australian Museum and toured internationally by Flying Fish, "Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family" will showcase a number of different family members, including the small-statured Dilon and the long-armed Guanlong, and will display the evolution that took place through an interactive presentation.

There are more than 30 exhibit objects to check out, including life-sized skeletons, models and fossil specimens. There are experiences for the entire family, and the exhibit showcases the groundbreaking science that re-configured the Tyrannosaur's "family tree" with a timeline and a compare-and-contrast presentation that reveals how these feared creatures evolved.

"The geologic record is vast and provides fascinating new discoveries that shed light on the lives of some of our favorite prehistoric creatures, including dinosaurs," Fernbank Educator and Volunteer Manager Miranda Shealy said in a news release. "'Meet the Family' highlights some of the newest paleontological findings about the many fearsome Tyrannosaurs that roamed our planet during the Cretaceous Period."

Related programming includes a screening of the film "Dinosaurs of Antarctica" and immersive exhibits and activities as part of DINO-mite Adventures.

The exhibit is included with general admission at Fernbank, which includes all indoor exhibits, daily programs and a giant-screen film, in addition to outdoor explorations in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest. Online tickets are available at a discounted rate and are free for Fernbank members.

Located at 767 Clifton Road in the Emory/Druid Hills area, Fernbank Museum is one of Atlanta's most popular cultural destinations. For more details, visit www.fernbankmuseum.org.