Dinosaurs invade Bishop Museum

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

'Life Through Time: From T. rex to Sabretooth' 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through May 12, Bishop Museum, 847-3511

The faux-asaurs are part of a new exhibit, "Life Through Time: From T. rex to Sabretooth," on view at Bishop Museum.

The exhibit includes interactive displays, including a pair of "Dig for a Dino" sandboxes, chambers that illustrate the difference in walking styles between a gecko and an Apatosaurus, and a "Dino Dress-Up" area.

The exhibit also includes a stripped down mechanical dinosaur with interactive controls and the always educational, but thankfully not interactive, fossilized "Dino Poop."

But it's the dinosaurs that are the most riveting. The covering for some of the models is even based on fossilized dinosaur skin. The exhibit takes visitors as far back as 60 million years to view creatures of the Pleistocene, Jurassic, and late-Cretaceous periods.

Just inside are a Megatherium (giant sloth) in a struggle with a Smilodon (saber tooth cat). Elsewhere are Maiasaura (good mother lizard) with three offspring and a very vocal Apatosaurus (deceptive lizard).

And, of course, explanatory texts are posted throughout to ensure visitors don't walk away feeling like a Pachycephalosaurus (Thick-headed lizard.)