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Titans of the Past go on exhibit

 
The largest fossil of a Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex)
ever found, is one of main exhibits
If you are fascinated by the mysteries of dinosaurs but the only ones you have ever seen are from movies, documentaries, books or magazines, then you should visit the exciting and educational “Titans of the Past – Dinosaurs and Ice Age Mammals” exhibition at the Science Centre Singapore.

This exhibition will transport you into the prehistoric era of the dinosaurs and Ice Age mammals as it features two international travelling dinosaur exhibitions – “The Growth and Behaviour of Dinosaurs,” which is co-produced by the Museum of the Rockies (MOR), USA Montana and Kokoro Co. Ltd, Japan, and “Ice Age, The Exhibition” from Aurea Exhibitions, Argentina. 

 
 
A series of Triceratops skulls replicas that
track their growth from juvenile to adulthood
You will have the opportunity to see real fossils that include the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex) skull ever found and Kokoro’s state-of-the-art animatronics that brings dinosaur replicas to life.  There are quality specimens of Triceratops, Pachycephalosaurus, Hypacrosaurus and T-Rex and interesting exhibits that track the development and growth of these four dinosaur species that test the latest sensational hypothesis of world renowned paleontologist, Dr Jack Horner and his research team.  They discovered more than one third of all dinosaur species classified from the Cretaceous Period that may actually be juveniles and not different species as were determined by paleontologists for the past century. 
 

A young visitor is overwhelmed by the realistic replica
of a T-Rex at the exhibition
“The exhibition tells the story of a dinosaur’s life using real fossils and specimens that have played a pivotal role to facilitate our continuous efforts to demystify the prehistoric age and uncover new findings,” said Dr Horner, the MOR’s Curator of Paleontology and technical advisor for the famous Jurassic Park movies.  “We are in a better position to showcase the prehistoric era and I am sure visitors will be intrigued by what they see in the exhibition,” he added.

One of the highlights of this exhibition is a series of replicas of Triceratops skulls that track their growth and development from juvenile to adulthood.  You will see how their neck shields develop over age, becoming most attractive at adulthood and then fan out into more porous shields as they age.  This may be because thick and big neck shields would be impossible to carry as they advance with age.
 
 
Fossil of the sabre-toothed cat [Left] and the replica
of a saber-toothed cat from the Ice Age
You can play with an interactive display of the Hypacrosaurus presented as Baby, Juvenile and Adult to hear the unique sounds they make at these stages of their life. The Baby makes high pitch squeaks as it probably remains safely within earshot of its parents.  However, the sonorous sound by the Adult resonates deep and loud to reach longer distances.

For the first time, two life-size dinosaur skeleton casts and Ice Age Mammals exhibits from the Aurea Exhibitions are being showcased in Asia.  You will be awed by the Argentinosaurus that measures 36 meters long and 7 meters high, the largest Sauropod ever found and be thrilled to see the cast of Giganotosaurus, one of the largest terrestrial carnivores in the late Cretaceous period.  The Ice Age Mammals exhibition features 10 animatronics animals including the ferocious sabre-toothed cat and giant Mammoth with its massive curved tusks and beady eyes.
 
Life-sized dinosaur skeleton casts will dwarf and delight visitors to the Titans of the Past - Dinosaurs and
Ice Age Mammals exhibition at the Singapore Science Centre
 
To enhance the visitors’ experience at the exhibition, the Science Centre Singapore has put together a range of educational programmes such as animated demonstration shows, talks and lectures by paleontologists and hands-on workshops on dinosaur forensics.  This exhibition is held in the Science Centre Singapore, Annexe, from 10am to 6pm daily until 23 Feb 2014. Rates for a Family package (2 adults & 2 children) at S$68, Student S$11, Adult RM20 and Child (aged 3 to 12) S$16.  For more info, visit website: www.science.edu.sg

A version of this article was published in The New Straits Times, Streets Johor on 11 December 2013
 

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