POLAR dinosaurs from Australia’s back yard are headed Geelong’s way.
Cryolohophosaurus, an Antarctic dinosaur, Victoria’s own leaellynasaura and Qantassaurus, megalania, a giant lizard, and the giant flightless bird, bullockornis, will be among the mega menagerie to be showcased by the National Wool Museum later this month.
A global environmental crisis, food shortages, birds so big they couldn’t fly and nasty komodo dragon-like creatures were all part of life for the wildlife of the antediluvian mega-continent Gondwana.
“Wildlife of Gondwana offers an unforgettable experience for the secret palaeontologist lurking inside each and every one of us,” Geelong mayor Darryn Lyons said.
“It is an exhibition based on ground-breaking research and curated by Dr Patricia Vickers-Rich and her team from Monash University’s PrimeSCI! Vickers-Rich also contributed to Sir David Attenborough’s Emmy-winning program First Life.”
“Wildlife of Gondwana reveals bizarre, unusual looking dinosaurs virtually unknown to most Australians,” said Cr Andy Richards, the city’s portfolio holder for arts and culture.
“This is a great opportunity to explore and learn about Australia’s natural history. It is very exciting to have this exhibition for 12 months here at the National Wool Museum, Geelong’s very own museum.”
Wildlife of Gondwana: Beasts of the Great Southern Supercontinent is an exhibition where skeletons and fossils meet scientists and artists.
Vivid illustrations by Peter Trusler put muscle and skin on bone to provide a glimpse of how these majestic, extinct species lived.
Surrounded by life-like environmental murals, the exhibition features real fossils, skeletons and 20 full-scale skeletal casts, many of which have never been on public display in Australia before.
LINK: www.nwm.vic.gov.au
