Did Dinosaurs Poop? Exhibition Description, as featured on MuseumoftheEarth.org
Did Dinosaurs Poop?
September 14-January 11
Did Dinosaurs Poop? is a new hands-on, informative exhibit for kids coming this September to
the Museum of the Earth! Designed for an audience of families with children ages 4 to 10, the
exhibit will present a fun, colorful approach to learning about fossils and dinosaur diets long
ago. Visitors will take a digestion journey, traveling as dinosaur "food" from tooth to tush and
then discovering how poop can become a fossil. They can also take on the role of paleontologist
to uncover fossils, examine them, and figure out where - and when! - it came from.
This exhibit answers questions like "How do feces fossilize?", "What can we learn about past
worlds from fossil poop?", and "How do we know what we know about dinosaurs?". Through
colorful graphics, hands-on interactives, and real fossils, visitors will understand the process of
fossilization, they will discover what stones, bones, teeth, and even tiny molecules can tell us
about diet, they will begin to reconstruct past ecological webs, and they will become scientists
themselves, discovering how to learn from the amazing fossil record.
Did Dinosaurs Poop? Family Day Description, as featured on MuseumoftheEarth.org – over
150 people were in attendance
FAMILY DAY: September 15, 10am-1pm
Come discover the mysteries of dinosaur digestion and Mesozoic food chains by exploring
fossilized dinosaur feces, or coprolites, at our hands-on activities during Museum of the Earth’s
Did Dinosaurs Poop? Family Day. Find your inner paleontologist by creating and eating your
own “Dino Dung” candy creations or dissecting one to discover its contents. How do we know
what dinosaurs and ancient creatures ate? Fossils, of course! There will also be two showings at
10:30am and 1pm of WSKG's Dinosaur Train: Every Dinosaur Poops episode. Activities and
Dinosaur Train showings are included with the price of admission.
This program was made possible by a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Program with
additional support from M&T Bank and WSKG.
Did Dinosaurs Poop? Article in the Ithaca Journal, August 2012
“Did Dinosaurs Poop? Come to the Museum of the Earth to find out!”
From tiny trilobites to towering dinosaurs, an amazing array of creatures has lived on Earth over the past
4 billion years. How do we know about these incredible beasts? Fossils! Deep in the earth around you
are the preserved remains of past life. Paleontologists work to uncover these fossils, which can be many
different shapes, sizes, and colors. Usually, fossils are the teeth, bones, or shells of ancient animals, but
sometimes we discover something even rarer, like fossilized poop.
That’s right, even dinosaurs pooped!
Fossilized feces are called coprolites, meaning “dung stones.” Coprolites often hold clues to an animal’s
meal, the environment in which the animal lived, and more. Dino poop – along with coprolites from
other extinct animals – can tell remarkable stories about creatures that lived millions of years ago. By
examining fossil feces, along with teeth, bones, and preserved stomach contents, scientists can piece
together how dinosaur carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores ate and digested their meals.
Did Dinosaurs Poop? is a new hands-on exhibition for kids opening September 14th at the Museum of
the Earth. Designed primarily for families with children ages 4 to 10 but fun for all ages, the exhibition
presents a fun and colorful approach to learning about fossils and dinosaur diets. Visitors will take a
digestion journey, traveling as dinosaur "food" from tooth to tush, discovering how poop can become a
fossil. They can also take on the role of paleontologist to uncover fossils, examine them, and figure out
where - and when - they came from.
This exhibit answers questions like "How do feces fossilize?", "What can we learn about past worlds
from fossil poop?", and "How do we know what we know about dinosaurs?" Through colorful graphics,
hands-on interactives, and real fossils, visitors will understand the process of fossilization, they will
discover what stones, bones, teeth, and even tiny molecules can tell us about diet, they will begin to
reconstruct past ecological webs, and they will become scientists themselves, discovering how to learn
from the amazing fossil record.
The Museum celebrates Family Day on Saturday, September 15th from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm with fun
hands-on activities and two showings at 10:30am and 1pm of WSKG's Dinosaur Train: Every Dinosaur
Poops episode. Find your inner paleontologist by creating and eating your own “Dino Dung” candy
creations or dissecting one to discover its contents. Activities and Dinosaur Train showings are included
with the price of admission.
Did Dinosaurs Poop? runs through January 11th and was made possible by a grant from the Tompkins
County Tourism Program with additional support from M&T Bank. For more information, please visit
MuseumoftheEarth.org or contact Elizabeth Brando at 607-273-6623 ext 15 or
[email protected].
Did Dinosaurs Poop? Exhibition Panels
Rack card, included in the Museum of the Earth exhibit at the Sciencenter in Ithaca, NY
Photos from Did Dinosaurs Poop? Family Day, September 15, 2012