Oak Park Newspaper

Dinosaurs Alive! Comes to Brookfield Zoo

Exhibit Features 18 Life-Size, Animatronic Prehistoric Creatures, Including the World’s Largest Animatronic Dinosaur

Brookfield, IL—Millions and millions of years ago, during the Mesozoic Era, dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Beginning April 4 and continuing through October 2009, guests to Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo will be able to step back in time and experience 18 prehistoric animatronic creatures at Dinosaurs Alive!, an exciting new interactive and multi-sensory exhibit. The dinosaurs will be displayed in an outdoor forest setting.

Showcasing one of the most innovative and largest dinosaur displays, Dinosaurs Alive! is both an entertaining and story-driven educational experience for the entire family. This dynamic exhibit features an exceptional collection of life-size replica dinosaurs that are fleshy to the touch, make a variety of sounds, from loud roars to chirps, and have up to eight sinuous movements. The highlight of the exhibit will be the world’s largest animatronic dinosaur that is a replica of the Ruyang Yellow River dinosaur, which measures nearly 60 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 30 feet high!

Dinosaurs Alive!, located adjacent to Children’s Zoo, will introduce guests to dinosaurs ranging from a 4-foot-tall “baby” to adult-size species, all dating from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods 200 to 65 million years ago. Sixteen of the dinosaurs, including life-size replicas of the lizardlike Stegosaurus, three-horned Triceratops, flying Pteranodon, and the ever-popular meat-eating Tyrannosaurus rex, can be viewed along a wooded paved path. Zoogoers will be able to manipulate four of the dinosaurs—an Apatosaurus baby, Baryonyx, Dilophosaurus, and Parasaurolophus—from interactive remote-control consoles. These remarkable lifelike animatronic creatures, which are scientifically accurate based on the latest in paleontological knowledge, were created by the Canada-based company Dinosaurs Unearthed.

<> This compelling exhibit will also feature a model of the Danshanpu Quarry in Zigong, China,

where paleontologists have discovered a great number of dinosaur specimens in recent years. The dig

site showcases a replica portion of a Mamenchisaurus skeleton, including a large section of the

dinosaur’s spine. Also along the pathway will be interpretive signs about each species and dinosaurs

in general, along with opportunities to explore dinosaurs in the context of today’s animals. Guests will

learn about habitat, adaptations, and other factors that allow creatures to thrive no matter when or

where they live. In addition, zoo educators will be stationed in the exhibit to enhance the story of

these prehistoric wonders, which have fascinated humans since their discovery in 1822.

The largest dinosaur ever discovered—the Ruyang Yellow River dinosaur—will be prominently showcased at Brookfield Zoo’s Roosevelt Fountain. (Although not part of its known natural behavior, the Ruyang at the zoo will periodically spray water from its mouth into the fountain.) This dinosaur was replicated based on the 2007 announcement that scientists in Asia unearthed the widest dinosaur ever discovered. This plant-eating dinosaur originated from the Cretaceous period—145 to 65 million years ago—a period from which dinosaur finds were relatively uncommon in China.

An interactive dig site, located on the zoo’s East Mall, will feature two 4-foot by 8-foot raised shallow sandboxes, allowing “junior paleontologists” to unearth replica fossils of the Shunosaurus and Yangchuanosaurus dinosaurs. Also on the mall, guests can commemorate their visit to Dinosaurs Alive! with their photos taken with a Protoceratops in front of a desert-themed backdrop.

Next to the photo tent and interactive dig site will be TRex Grill, an outdoor cafe with such menu items as stir-fry and sandwiches, nonalcoholic and alcoholic frozen drinks, and ice cream novelties.

As guests exit the exhibit, they will be able to shop to their hearts’ content in a gift shop
featuring a variety of dinosaur-themed merchandise, including plush and PVC dinosaurs; activity kits and paleontological dig sets; books; T-shirts; jewelry; educational flash cards; a variety of gift items; board and card games; and much more.

Admission to Dinosaurs Alive! will be $5 for adults and $3 for children 3-11 and seniors 65 and older (Brookfield Zoo members pay only $2.50 and $1.50). General zoo admission is $12 for adults and
$8 for children 3-11 and seniors. Children 2 and under are admitted free. From early spring through late fall, Brookfield Zoo also offers an All-in-One Ticket, which includes general admission, as well as discount admission to the zoo’s many attractions, including Dinosaurs Alive!. Parking is $8. Tickets to Brookfield Zoo may be purchased online at www.CZS.org.

Celebrating its 75^thyear, the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, inspires conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. Open every day of the year, Brookfield Zoo is located off First Avenue between the Stevenson (I-55) and Eisenhower (I-290) expressways and is also accessible via the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), Metra commuter line, CTA, and PACE bus service. For further information, visit www.CZS.org.

· The word dinosaur means “fearsome lizard.” Dinosaurs are considered reptiles but are not lizards.

· Dinosaurs ranged in size from a small cat to three-and-a-half giraffes stacked on top of one another. That is as tall as Brookfield Zoo’s Tropic World exhibit.

· Dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic era—from the Triassic period, about 230 million years ago, through the Jurassic period, to the end of the Cretaceous period about 65 million years ago.

· Dinosaurs were able to roam Earth longer than any other land animal because they continuously adapted to their environment. Before they became extinct, dinosaurs roamed the Earth for 165 million years.

· Several theories exist as to why dinosaurs became extinct. The most well-known theory is that a huge asteroid or comet hit Earth, causing an enormous explosion that in turn darkened the Earth. Another hypothesis is that a series of volcanic eruptions blocked the sun’s rays, cooling the entire planet.

· Dinosaurs were first discovered in 1822, and the first fossil was scientifically categorized in 1824. In 1853, a British scientist introduced the concept of them at a dinner party inside a replica of a dinosaur’s stomach. However, people had been finding dinosaur fossils for thousands of years, and many believed them to be dragon bones.

· Some scientists believe that many dinosaurs may have been brightly colored like modern birds. This would have been handy for camouflage and for courtship displays. A few dinosaurs may even have been feathered.

· The word “fossil” literally means “dug up.” Conditions have to be perfect for a fossil to form, which is why they are so rare. Fossils can form only in sedimentary rock. Also, when a dinosaur died, it had to be covered quickly by mud or sand. Gradually, as water ran over the bones and teeth, their calcium was replaced by rock minerals. Eventually, all traces of the bones are gone, leaving an exact replica made of stone.

· It is unknown how many dinosaur species actually existed, but scientists have uncovered between 500 and 700 distinct types. This represents about 5 percent of the known bird and reptile species of today.

· At the start of the Mesozoic era (some 250 million years ago), all of the continents on Earth were joined together into one supercontinent called Pangaea. Over the next 160 million years, Pangaea split into two giant continents that continued to move, split, and form into the continents we have today. This is why scientists find similar fossils all over the world.

· Roughly 65 percent of the dinosaurs were plant eaters (herbivores) and 35 percent were plant and meat eaters (omnivores).

· Scientists believe they can guess a dinosaur’s intelligence by comparing the ratio of the brain cavity to the body size. Because meat-eating dinosaurs hunted for their food, possibly in packs, they are thought to have had larger brains and been more intelligent than plant-eating dinosaurs.