The Natural History Museum of Utah Presents DinoFest 2018

Adventure into the prehistoric past at the 2^nd annual DinoFest at the Natural History Museum of Utah.  Examine actual plant and animal fossils, discover how climate and environmental conditions create such flawless historical records and meet world-renown paleontologists who can shed light on why Utah is such a hot-bed for dinosaur discoveries. Mingle with community partners in the Museum’s Canyon area and participate in a variety of hands-on activities for the whole family, Saturday and Sunday, January 20 & 21, 2018.   

“DinoFest gives us the perfect opportunity to bridge the gap between the fun-filled fantasy side of dinosaurs’ kids have grown up with, and the amazing scientific research and paleontological discoveries taking place right now in Utah and around much of the world,” says Carrie Levitt, Paleontology Collections Manager at the Museum. “It’s a very exciting time to be a paleontologist or even an enthusiast, and this year we have a diverse group of experts from all over the globe coming to share a little about their latest research and discoveries.”

The 2018 DinoFest keynote speakers will be:

• Dr. John Hutchinson, Professor of Evolutionary Biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, who will speak about dinosaur movement and how it changed over time.
• Dr. Stephanie E. Pierce, Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University will address the evolution of four-limbed vertebrates from swimming to walking on land.

Ten additional paleontology experts will present short “Dinobites,” about topics ranging from what dinosaurs dined on, the incredible power of their strides and bites to the technology used to track flying reptiles and other ancient creatures. Visit our website for more detailed Dinobite information: https://nhmu.utah.edu/dinofest-2018-paleontologists

Don’t miss these DinoFest Highlights:

• Explore the Museum’s Paleo Prep Lab to discover how fossils are cleaned and prepared.
• Examine the Paleo Collections area, where actual fossils are catalogued and stored.
• Keep your eyes peeled for an appearance of Utahceratops.
• Take a walk on the wild side with dinosaur-themed face painting.
• Drop by the Dry Caves to see live birds and visit with the folks from Hawk Watch.
• Investigate fossils in the Museum’s Past World’s Gallery and learn to spot which ones are authentic.

The 2018 DinoFest is free with regular Museum admission. Visit the website for additional details. https://nhmu.utah.edu/visit/hours

###

About the Natural History Museum of Utah

The Natural History Museum of Utah is a premier scientific research and cultural institution. It opened to the public in 1969 and moved into a spectacular, award winning new home in 2011. The Museum’s 30 scientists oversee active field research programs throughout Utah, and elsewhere, and help care for natural history collections of more 1.6 million objects. The Museum offers innovative exhibitions and educational programs to thousands of residents and visitors each year, including timely and interactive temporary and permanent exhibits, numerous special events and other programs. The Museum reaches 450,000 people annually, at the Rio Tinto Center and in communities and classrooms statewide.