Exhibits Exemplifying Evolution of Dinosaurs, Mammals on Display at Museum in Bando, Ibaraki Pref.; Total of 351 Items to be Shown

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:13 JST, March 25, 2024

BANDO, Ibaraki — Impressive skeletal preparations, stuffed specimens and fossils are on display, allowing visitors to compare the evolution of dinosaurs and mammals from various perspectives at the Ibaraki Natural Museum in Bando, Ibaraki Prefecture.

A total of 351 items will be on display at the “Dinosaurs vs. Mammals: Their evolutions revealed by fossils” exhibition through June 9.

The exhibits explain, for example, why quadrupedal mammals and bipedal dinosaurs were able to run fast through the characteristics of the skeletons of servals, a member of the cat family, and Carnotaurus, a carnivorous dinosaur measuring 7 meters in length.

Among other displays are the skeletal preparations of Gastornis, which escaped mass extinction and evolved into today’s ostriches and other flightless birds called ratites, and Didelphodon, a mammal about the size of a dog from the Cretaceous period when dinosaurs dominated the Earth.

By scanning QR codes with a smartphone camera, visitors can also enjoy enlarged images of some specimens from various angles.

“What we can introduce is only a part of the magnificent story of how life has been nurtured despite major environmental changes. But we hope the exhibits will stimulate people’s interests in ancient animals,” chief curator Kosuke Yoshikawa said.

The museum is closed on Mondays unless otherwise specified.