Dinosaurs Take Flight

							Dinosaurs Take Flight


  Revising the exhibit
Why is this exhibit important?

 Evolution   as a process

 How scientists use evidence to
 support theory

 Popular   topic with public
Objectives of this presentation
                    Clarify exhibit
                     ideas

                    Improve
                     explanation using
                     current exhibit
Topics
 History   of theory
 Expand    comparison
 Phylogenetic   trees
 Use   the exhibit as is – but better
History of theory
 Discovery    of Archaeopteryx
    1861 London specimen
    1876 Berlin specimen
Berlin specimen-1876
                 Considered by
                 many to be the
                 most important
                 natural history
                 specimen ever
                 found
Interpretation of plaque
Features of Archaeopteryx
                              Three fingers
                claws          with claws
                              Teeth
 teeth
                  flight
                              Long bony tail
                feathers
                              Flight feathers
         tail
Artistic recreations
Skeleton studies
       Fastovsky




                   Ostrum
History of theory

Controversies:
    Thomas Huxley - it’s a (reptile) bird!
    John Ostrum & Deinonychus (1969)
    Origin of flight
    Wishbone from Allosaurus (1996)
T. rex has a wishbone!
                  1996 – Allosaurus
                   furcula (wishbone)
                   found
    furcula
                  The furcula is now
                   considered a feature
                   of theropod
                   coelurosaur dinos,
                   including T. rex
Two-way to three-way
comparison



   bird      dromaeosaur




Insert Archaeopteryx
Dromaeosaurid features
                        1.   Teeth
                        2.   Furcula
                    1
                             (wishbone)
5               2       3.   Long hollow
            6                bones
        3
                        4.   Three-toed foot
    4
                        5.   Long bony tail
                        6.   Swivel wristbone
Semi-lunate carpel bone

              This swivel
              wristbone allowed
              some theropod
              dinosaurs to fold
              their long arms
              against the body
Archaeopteryx features
                     1.   Teeth
         1
                     2.   Furcula
 2               5
                     3.   Hollow bones
     6               4.   Three-toed foot
                     5.   Long bony tail
             3
                     6.   Swivel wristbone
             4
                          Plus…..
Feathers!
               Archaeopteryx had
                downy feathers
                and flight feathers

               Having flight
                feathers is what
                makes
                Archaeopteryx so
                important
Modern bird features
               1.   No teeth
               2.   Furcula
               3.   Hollow bones
               4.   Three-toed foot
               5.   Bony tail replaced by
        keel        feathers
               6.   Swivel wristbone
               7.   Keel to support flight
                    muscles
Forelimb comparison

           2
               1.   Modern bird
1

               2.   Archaeopteryx
3      4
               3.   Ornitholestes
               4.   Deinonychus
Three-way comparison

Dromaeosaurid   Archaeopteryx   Bird
Phylogenetic trees:
a way to summarize theory
A geneology of dinosaurs
A geneology of archosaurs
New discoveries bring
new controversies
                 Protarchaeopteryx
                  & other feathered
                  dinosaurs
                 Controversial fakes

                 Science takes time
What’s the new story?

 Dinosaurs   did not go extinct

 Wenow distinguish between
 non-avian and avian dinosaurs
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?”
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?
What’s the new story?

         Dinosaurs are everywhere!
In other words……
old dinosaur
new dinosaur