Press Room

April 6, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Michelle Padilla, mpadilla@cincymuseum.org, (513) 345-2658

Cincinnati Museum Center digs for dinosaurs
Paleontology buffs are invited to participate in the 7th annual Dinosaur Field School in Montana

CINCINNATI, OHIO—Spend a week living the life of a paleontologist. If you’ve always wanted to experience a real dinosaur dig, this is the trip for you! Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal invites paleontology buffs of all ages to participate in a weeklong session learning first-hand the basic principles and techniques of geology and paleontology.

Under the direction of Dr. Glenn Storrs, curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, and field supervisor and preparator Mason Jane Milam, participants in the 7th annual Dinosaur Field School will travel to the northwestern flank of the Bighorn Mountains in south-central Montana. Once there, field school students will learn to extract dinosaur fossils from rock using hand tools, how to gather and document field data and how to “field jacket” the fossils in burlap and plaster for shipment to the museum. Field trips and informal lectures will introduce participants to the dramatic and beautiful regional geology of south-central Montana. All training and collecting supplies will be provided by Cincinnati Museum Center. The fossils are well preserved in fairly soft ground, so it's an ideal dig for beginners.

Cincinnati Museum Center’s dig site contains a herd of eight juvenile sauropods, though they do not all seem to be the same age. This sort of grouping may indicate behavior because juvenile sauropods have been found in herds a couple of times before. This sort of grouping supports the idea that these animals, like herding animals today, broke from the larger herd to form juvenile herds.

Besides digging up dinosaur fossils, participants tour the region to learn about its geological history. Even the daily drive to the dig site is a step back millions of years on land where every geological feature is laid out like a book. Students learn to recognize the identifying features of different geological ages, placing the dinosaurs in context. But it’s not all work—on the last night of the dig, participants take in the pig races in Bear Creek.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience is open to adults and teens ages 13 to 17 who are accompanied by an adult. Participants will be working outdoors and living in a rustic camp setting in mountainside cabins. South-central Montana is one of the most beautiful parts of the country, but many places there are still quite wild. Students should be prepared for a variety of weather conditions, as the field site is located in the high desert at about 4,000 feet above sea level. Cabins are in the foothills of the Beartooth Range at closer to 7,000 feet. Days can be hot, but thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds do occur and nights can be quite cool.

Dinosaur Field School dates:
Session 1: July 22–28
Session 2: July 29–August 5

Dinosaur Field School costs:
Museum members: $1,150
Non-members: $1,250
Fees includes all instruction, collecting tool rental, lodging, meals and transportation to and from camp once in Red Lodge. Transportation to Billings, Montana, from your home and back is not included. Lodging is dormitory-style, with a men’s and a women’s cabin. Private cabins may also be available by early registration.

For more information or to register, call the Cincinnati Museum Center's Information & Reservation office at (513) 287-7021 or 1-800-733-2077 x7021.

NOTE: This field experience requires moderate physical exertion in rugged terrain. Although little hiking or climbing is required, you should be in reasonably good physical shape. Please discuss this trip with your physician and heed any precautionary advice your doctor may offer.

Bone-By-Bone: Assembling A Dinosaur Skeleton
Cincinnati has never had a real dinosaur skeleton of its own—until now!

Cincinnati Museum Center paleontologists are preparing a skeleton of the carnivorous dinosaur Allosaurus fragilis for future exhibition in the Museum of Natural History & Science. Through July 8, visitors can see staff members and volunteers assembling the bones of this 25-foot long theropod, or bird-like dinosaur, in the John A. Ruthven Exhibit Gallery. Allosaurus was a major predator in North America 140-million years ago during the Jurassic Period. Museum Center’s specimen comes from the famous Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry of Emery County, Utah.

Visitors have the unique opportunity of being able to witness the assembly process up-close as the skeleton goes together bone-by-bone. The methods and materials by which dinosaur skeletons are preserved and exhibited are also on display, and visitors can discuss the project first-hand with staff as the skeleton comes together. Visit again and again to see the project progress!

Help us build the dinosaur!
Building and preserving an Allosaurus isn’t cheap! You can help sponsor the restoration and construction of this magnificent dinosaur skeleton by participating in our Buy-A-Bone campaign. Just as school or civic supporters buy bricks for courtyards, you can sponsor the preservation of individual bones on our Allosaurus . For more information, visit the Support Us section of our web site at www.cincymuseum.org.

Bone-By-Bone: Assembling A Dinosaur Skeleton and the 2007 Dinosaur Field School are presented by WNKU 89.7 FM.

Cincinnati Museum Center gratefully acknowledges operating and capital support from the City of Cincinnati,

Hamilton County and the State of Ohio.

Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal is home to the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, the Museum of Natural History & Science, the Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater, and the Cincinnati Historical Society Library. It is a nationally recognized educational and research resource and one of the top cultural attractions in the Midwest. Cincinnati Museum Center serves more than 1.47 million visitors annually, reaching out to almost 200,000 young people through hands-on exhibits and programs. Originally built in 1933 as the Union Terminal train station, the building is a national historic landmark and was renovated and reopened as Cincinnati Museum Center in 1990. For information, call (513) 287-7000 or 1-800-733-2077 or visit www.cincymuseum.org.

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