Event 4 (Extra Credit): American Museum of Natural History (New York City)

Earlier this quarter, I took a trip to New York City and visited the American Museum of Natural History. In particular, I will focus this blog post on the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs. From what I could tell, the layout of this Museum was somewhat similar to the design of the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. This Museum in New York, however, was a lot larger and included more Dinosaur fossils. As a child, I always gravitated towards the dinosaur fossils when visiting the Museum. Even at 21 years old, I saw myself following the same impulse, and I found myself in front of the Tyrannosaurus rex. 

            When thinking about the process of retrieving fossils and displaying them, it was hard for me to find the connection to technology, art, and science. I knew that a paleontologist is a scientist who studied fossils, but other than that it was tough making the connection. All of the information that I have received has come from television and movies. When I think of a paleontologist, I think of an old guy digging at excavation sites with a small pick and a brush. After conducting a bit of research, I realized that this is not the case. Paleontologists use expensive machines to evaluate the rock layers to create these geologic maps. By creating these maps, they can quickly locate these fossils. 

            The artistic portion of this process comes after finding the bones. The method of finding the bones and arranging them in the correct order is almost like they are creating a sculpture. Another artistic process is creating concept drawings of how these dinosaurs looked like when they were alive. Since we did not exist when they walked the earth, it is up to the artistic expression of these artists along with guidance from scientists that we can get a glimpse of how these dinosaurs once lived. 

Museum of the Rockies Inspires Lifelong Learning in Science, History, Culture, and Art; and Presents Engaging, Vibrant Exhibits, and Programming. | Museum of the Rockies, museumoftherockies.org/uploads/Resources/Trunks__Kits/Background_Info-Process_of_Paleontology.pdf.

"Tyrannosaurus Rex Fossil Exhibit." American Museum of Natural History, www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/saurischian-dinosaurs/tyrannosaurus-rex.