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May 2006, Newsletter
RMDRC News
April was a wonderful month as we held our "Dino
EGG-stravaganza" on April 15
and 16. Gary Meerkreebs of "Mad Science", put on a spectacular Fire and Ice
show that had the crowds in awe. Children also had a great time putting together
a dinosaur egg nest that included moss, plants, and dino eggs containing a "real"
dinosaur (ok - they were small plastic dinosaurs, but they were cool!).
May is packed with events for all ages. How about some FREE days? Well, teachers
will enjoy "Teacher Appreciation Week" and we are giving Mom an extra special
"Mother's Day" (see details later in this newsletter). Also, we are celebrating 2 years here at the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center so come out and
join us - Memorial Day Weekend (May 27-29).
Parents - don't forget: Kid's Summer Camp is coming up in June and July. This is
a great opportunity for your future paleontologists to "bone-up" on rocks,
minerals, and of course, dinosaurs. We still have some spots left.
We are putting together our events for the rest of the year and you can find the
latest calendar
here.
Bob the T rex. enjoyed his very own dino nest!
"Mad Science" in action!
Sincerely,
Dave Ehlert
RMDRC Director
dave@rmdrc.com
Dinosaur News
From around the world, here is the latest collection of recent finds and studies:
In the article "Huge
meat-eating dinosaurs may have hunted in packs", scientists
discuss a recently discovered carnivorous dinosaur. Possibly the largest?
You never know where a dinosaur fossil will turn
up. How about 1.4 miles below the water! Read more on this
North Sea fossil discovered in Norway
(the first dinosaur find in Norway).
Ok, every once in a while, we have to throw in a mammal article. This one
discusses
specialized sound
producing jaws.
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Upcoming
Exhibits & Events
May 7-13
Teacher Appreciation Week
Hey Teachers! The Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center invites you to visit
us during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-13, 2006, for FREE. All teachers will
get FREE admission during regular museum hours with their school ID.
Read the details here.
May 13
"Dinos & Dragons"
1pm:
Karen Kestrel will kick off the afternoon with a
talk on "Dragons-Evolution of a Legend"
2pm: Guest Speaker Michael Ryan
from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, will be
talking on "101 Years of T. rex: The Evolution of an Icon."
3pm: The Cheyenne
Mountain Zoo will be presenting information on the Komodo
Dragon.
Complete details
here. These lectures are FREE with paid museum admission. RMDRC Dino
Club members are FREE.
May 14
Mom's Get in FREE at the Dinosaur Center
Hey, Kids. Looking for a fun way to spend Mother's Day with Mom? Bring her to
the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center and Mom gets in FREE with a child's
paid admission. What a great way to bond with Mom and have some great dinosaur
fun. The doors open at 10 am.
May 27 - 29
Anniversary Celebration
The Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center opened in May 2004 and will
celebrate its two year anniversary Memorial Day weekend 2006. Special events are
planned for that weekend. Come out and join us -
everything you need
to know is here.
June 12 - July 28
Kid's Summer Camp with the Dinos!
Have you ever wondered about the rocks you find? Come to the Rocks and Minerals
Summer Camp during June at the Dinosaur Resource Center and find out.
Class Descriptions / Times and Prices here.
Educationally Speaking
What is your dinosaur education level? Test yourself by coming to the Dinosaur
Resource Center. Did you know that 20% of all dinosaurs found have some sort of
pathology (diseased or deviating from the normal)? “Survey”, our Edmontosaurus,
has a pathology relating to an attack. We also have a number of other examples
ranging from tumors to genetic deformities.
Can you spot what injury our Dolichorhynchops suffered? Ask our tour guides for
the answers to these and other questions about our exhibits.
Regards,
Valerie Nakamura
Education Director
val@rmdrc.com
Lab News
As you may have guessed, with the weather so nice,
it was impossible to keep the lab staff cooped up in the museum for long. So off
to Kansas we went, armed with the excuse of looking for parts to complete our
molding and casting projects, namely Icthyodectes.
As it turns out, Icthyodectes is a hard fish to find, however Tracie
found a nice Pachyrhizodus fish tail, Colin found some nice shark teeth
and a partial Enchodus, Mike Triebold found an Icthyornis wing
bone, and I found a partial baby mosasaur skull measuring only 8 inches long.
Baby Mosasaur jaw parts from Kansas
Cast created using the original jaw parts (above)
Meanwhile back in the lab, prep continues on our tyrannosaurid. The ceratopsian from Montana has been tentatively identified as a rare
Avaceratops, one of only three partial skulls ever discovered.
Anthony Maltese
Paleo Technician
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