Drexel's Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, USA, "Ice Dinosaurs" Exhibit- 28th September 202

[Prehistory Resurrection]

This exhibit, dubbed "Ice Dinosaurs" at Drexel's Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, USA shows the dinosaurs and prehistoric animals that used to live in an area called Prince Creek Formation, Alaska, about 70 million years ago. Among the dinosaurs and prehistoric animals shown is included T-Rex's feathery relative, Nanuqsaurus. This exhibit is open to the public as from 28th September 2024 up to May 4th, 2025.

[Gwangi]

That's about 3 hours from me, I might have to check it out. I haven't been to the Academy of Natural Sciences since 2007 and it would be a good excuse to go back.

It's really depressing that nearly 30 years after the discovery of feathered dinosaurs people still aren't used to seeing them with feathers.

[Libraraptor]

That's about 3 hours from me, I might have to check it out. I haven't been to the Academy of Natural Sciences since 2007 and it would be a good excuse to go back.

It's really depressing that nearly 30 years after the discovery of feathered dinosaurs people still aren't used to seeing them with feathers.

This is more of a feigned surprise than real amazement. A journalist doing their job, in other words.

[Gwangi]

That's about 3 hours from me, I might have to check it out. I haven't been to the Academy of Natural Sciences since 2007 and it would be a good excuse to go back.

It's really depressing that nearly 30 years after the discovery of feathered dinosaurs people still aren't used to seeing them with feathers.

This is more of a feigned surprise than real amazement. A journalist doing their job, in other words.

Oh for sure, I could see through the act. But to still act like feathered dinosaurs are a big deal is depressing this many decades after the discovery.

[Dusty Wren]

I was in Philly this week, so I stopped by the Academy to check out Ice Dinosaurs. Snapped some photos for those who are curious about it.

The exhibit is on the small side, and it's basically all animatronics, with just a few fossils/fossil reproductions on display. The animatronics look okay, but they don't have a great range of motion--just some heads that raise/lower, mouths that open/close, that kind of thing. Troodon is the star of the show, so it appears multiple times across the exhibit. 



Some of the dinos are only identified generically (the two below were labeled "Dromaeosaur" and "Ornithomimid," respectively). I don't know much about the Prince Creek formation, so I'm guessing these animals are too fragmentary to identify more confidently.





The backgrounds and fabricated environments are really well done. You get a great sense of the landscape from the rocks and plants, and they've even got some fish in the fake river (mostly sturgeon, though they don't label the fish at all so that's just a guess).

Not all the dinos are feathered. Here's my favorite of the bunch, hadrosaur Ungrunaaluk kuukpikensis (with little mammal Didelphodon).



I also really like the Academy's permanent collection of fossils, so here's non-ice dinosaur Chasmosaurus belli from their Dinosaur Hall.

[suspsy]

You didn't take any photos of the Nanuqsaurus?

[Dusty Wren]

You didn't take any photos of the Nanuqsaurus?

Ask, and ye shall receive

[HD-man]

Ask, and ye shall receive

What are the other 2 dinos?

[crazy8wizard]

The feathering on the Ornithomimid looks pretty excellent (aside from the maybe inaccurate shafted wing feathers) but the dromaeosaurs, especially the white one, look like the artists were told 2 hours before the exhibit opened that they needed to put feathers on the raptors and were only given a hot glue gun and a few bags of craft feathers from Hobby Lobby.

[Dusty Wren]

What are the other 2 dinos?

The one with the crest is supposed to be Troodon again. I think there were three or four total versions of Troodon across the exhibit, and each of them looked slightly different. I'm guessing they came from different animatronics manufacturers.

Not sure about the little dude. I don't remember seeing a sign for them. I assumed they were supposed to be Nanuqsaurus hatchlings.