Tyrannosaurs: Meet The Family


NOW OPEN! | SPECIAL EXHIBITION–THROUGH JANUARY 24TH

Members Receive 50% OFF Tickets!
$7.50 member | $14.95 non-member

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An exhibition created by the Australian Museum and toured internationally by Flying Fish

The T. rex is one of the world’s best-known
dinosaurs, but many do not know that it is just one type of tyrannosaur.

At Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family, guests can explore more than 25 dinosaurs in the tyrannosaur’s family tree. Come face-to-face with a life-sized T. rex, see a dramatic array of fossils and casts of tyrannosaur specimens, run for your life in a virtual experience, hatch a dinosaur egg and more in this immersive, multimedia exhibition that sheds new light on these ancient carnivores.

The special exhibition features Scotty, a life-sized replica of a T. rex skeleton discovered in 1991. She is the heaviest and oldest T. rex currently on record. When she was alive, she was almost 20 feet tall, nearly 40 feet long and tipped the scales at more than 19,000 pounds.

Additionally, guests will learn about traits specific to tyrannosaurs, such as fused nasal bones, D-shaped teeth in cross section, a special type of hip bone and longer hind limbs. Behind the stories of these ancient carnivores is astonishing science!

Know before you go! Learn about fossils and tyrannosaurs in this educational guide at

slsc.org/tyrannosaur-education

Are there dinosaur fossils in Missouri?

Well, just one (currently)!

The geography of Missouri doesn’t lend for the best dinosaur discoveries. Most of the geological time layer that is exposed to the surface is too old to contain dinosaur remains. However, Missouri can claim one major dinosaur fossil discovery as our own—the hadrosaur. In the 1900s, this fossil was located in Southeastern Missouri where rock from the Cretaceous period (66 million years ago) was uncovered. The fossil was then preserved, and as a result the hadrosaur is Missouri’s state dinosaur!

So what is Missouri’s geologic time scale?

The majority of layers in Missouri originates from the Ordovician period (443 million years ago), the Mississippian period (323 million years ago) and the Pennsylvanian period (298 million years ago). The St. Louis region primarily consists of surfaces from the Mississippian period. This means any plants or animal fossils, especially ammonites, crinoids and Archimedes discovered lived during this time period.

Can I help find fossils?

Yes! If you are interested in fossil hunting in the St. Louis region, we highly recommend getting involved with the Eastern Missouri Society of Paleontology. They have a wealth of information on local fossil-hunting sites that are safe, legal and often have incredibly interesting specimens. Rick Poropat is the treasurer of the Eastern Missouri Society of Paleontology and we are lucky to have him as a frequent volunteer at the Science Center Fossil Prep Lab. Come visit him on Thursdays for stories, discoveries and more information on how you can get involved.