Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries@Nova Scotia MNH and SUE!

[suspsy]

Last month, I accompanied my awesome wife on another one of her business trips. Last time it was Phoenix, AZ; this time it was Halifax, Nova Scotia. And by very good luck, the local natural history museum was hosting the famous travelling exhibit known as Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries. The exhibit debuted at the AMNH about ten years ago, and I was fortunate enough to see it then. Somewhat disappointingly, only portions of the exhibit were being shown at this museum. Still, dinosaurs are dinosaurs, and one can never be disappointed by dinosaurs. Unless it's at a creationist "museum," of course, but that's a whole other topic.

Here is the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History itself. It's a nice little place, with a typical mammal and bird gallery, a marine gallery with whale skeletons and a touch tank, and live frogs, salamanders, turtles, and snakes. The gift shop contained a healthy selection of Schleich toys, including some new 2016 mini-figures such as the Baryonyx, the Ichthyosaurus, and the Mosasaurus. But I don't buy Schleich stuff, so no new dinosaurs on this trip.

IMG_1391 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Miniature reconstruction of T. rex.

IMG_1409 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

And a T. rex leg.

IMG_1408 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Metal reconstruction of the head and neck of Apatosaurus.

IMG_1413 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Triceratops skull.

IMG_1410 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1411 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

[SBell]

So, the NSMNH doesn't have a display of Nova Scotia's own Carboniferous and Triassic materials? Disappointing.

[stargatedalek]

So, the NSMNH doesn't have a display of Nova Scotia's own Carboniferous and Triassic materials? Disappointing.

Disappointing indeed. A few years ago before being renovated there was a small display with some Triassic materials and reconstructions but it wasn't much honestly. It was replaced by a globe with projector displays on it. The live gallery is definitely the NSMNH best feature.

There also used to be CollectA and Safari ltd. but we all know how that always ends...

There's a small fossil museum up in Parrsboro, but it probably has less in it than that travelling display has. The last time I went they'd replaced basically everything they had with kiddie things like ride-able stuffed dinosaurs.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

That was a nice exhibit. I got to see it when it was here in PA last year.

[suspsy]

Prenocephale.

IMG_1412 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Pachycephalosaurus.

IMG_1415 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Saichania tail club and plates and spike of Stegosaurus.

IMG_1416 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1417 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

[suspsy]

Protoceratops.

IMG_1418 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1423 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1419 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1420 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1421 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1422 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

[suspsy]

And now for the famous Liaoning Forest diorama, or rather, a very small portion of it. First, a perfect fossil of Sinornithosaurus.

IMG_1425 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

And here's the forest setting. Again, this was a very small museum and they understandably couldn't get all of it in here, but it was still quite a letdown to only see this little bit. Oh well. The white bird flying at the upper left is Confuciusornis.

IMG_1426 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1427 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1430 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Sinornithosaurus.

IMG_1428 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

Mei.

IMG_1429 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

I thought that would be my dinosaur fill for the weekend in Halifax. I was wrong . . .

[HD-man]

And here's the forest setting. Again, this was a very small museum and they understandably couldn't get all of it in here, but it was still quite a letdown to only see this little bit. Oh well. The white bird flying at the upper left is Confuciusornis.

Definitely doesn't do justice to the original (E.g. The sleepy Mei was originally in a hiding place; Here, it's out in the open: https://earthlingnature.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/09-two-mei-longs-e1330462617468.jpg ).

[suspsy]

Well.

The evening after my trip to the museum, my wife and I were walking to a restaurant in downtown Halifax when we came across the Discovery Centre, a nice little science museum. And who should be featured there but a replica of Sue! Prior to this, I'd seen one at Animal Kingdom's DinoLand in Orlando, and the real specimen itself at the Field Museum in Chicago. This was my favourite encounter though, as I got to get up very close.

IMG_1491 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1483 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1484 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1490 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1504 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1504 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1493 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1497 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1498 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

IMG_1499 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

These sculptures allowed visitors to see what the animals' eyesight was like.

IMG_1494 by Suspsy Three, on Flickr

That was truly the highlight of my trip. Well, that and Peggy's Cove.

[suspsy]

Restored these photos too!