Chinese Takeaway Delivered Safe and Sound

The amazing dinosaur exhibits that form this summer’s world exclusive Dinosaurs of China exhibition have arrived safe and sound at their Nottinghamshire venues.  This exciting exhibition, which features a number of specimens that have not been seen outside of Asia before, opens on Saturday, July 1st and the dedicated staff at Wollaton Hall and the Nottingham Lakeside Arts Centre with the collaboration of technicians from the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing, have just three weeks to put all the exhibits together.

Unloading Giant Dinosaur Vertebrae

Dorsal vertebrae from the giant Mamenchisaurus exhibit are carefully unloaded.

Picture credit: Dinosaurs of China

Jumbo-sized Jigsaw Puzzles

Before the exhibits can tell the fascinating story of how the dinosaurs evolved into birds, all the individual parts of the various dinosaurs have to be put together.  This is no mean feat, as Wollaton Hall will be home to a massive Mamenchisaurus dinosaur skeleton for the next five months.  The neck of Mamenchisaurus is a fraction under ten metres in length and it contains nineteen giant bones (cervical vertebrae).  The finished Mamenchisaurus exhibit will stand the same height as three double decker buses!

Unloading a Dinosaur at Wollaton Hall

Unloading Mamenchisaurus cervical vertebrae.

Picture credit: Dinosaurs of China

After a fifty-day, five-thousand-mile trip from China to the UK, this is one Chinese takeaway that will take a lot of careful handling.

Dinosaurs of China

The main exhibition at Wollaton Hall will feature twenty-six prehistoric animal skeletons and fossils that include some of the best-preserved specimens in the world.  Dr Adam Smith, Exhibition Curator, commented:

“It’s absolutely incredible to have the Dinosaurs of China here, having completed their two-month long, inter-continental journey.  Seeing such important finds up close is really thrilling and we can’t wait to start the installation process so we can share them with the rest of the country this summer!”

Dr Adam Smith Checks Over a Specimen

Counting the bones – all present and correct.

Picture credit: Dinosaurs of China

Visitors to the complementary exhibition at Nottingham Lakeside Arts will be greeted by two fascinating dinosaur skeletons – the Alxasaurus, which when it was alive, was probably covered in a coat of shaggy feathers and the fearsome Early Jurassic Dilophosaurus.   Dilophosaurus has two, thin, bony crests that ran from the top of its nose to the back of its head, hence this dinosaur’s name which means “double-crested lizard”.

Dilophosaurus “Double Crested Lizard”

Wild Safari Prehistoric World Dilophosaurus.

The Dilophosaurus Puzzle

The Dilophosaurus fossils found in China, may not be Dilophosaurus at all!  Some palaeontologists think that these fossils belong to a different, but related dinosaur called Sinosaurus (Sinosaurus triassicus).  That’s the great thing about palaeontology, new theories about these long extinct creatures are being put forward all the time, as more fossils are found.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur explained:

“We are finding out new things about dinosaurs all the time!  That’s why this exhibition is so very special.  It will give visitors the chance to learn about some of the most important dinosaur discoveries ever made.”

Preparing for the Dinosaur Exhibits

Placing a steel frame to help support a dinosaur exhibit.

Picture Credit: Dinosaurs of China

Lots of Family-friendly Activities

Nottingham Lakeside Arts have lots of exciting family-friendly activities planned including an interactive exhibition that will explore how palaeo-art and science helps palaeontologists to work out what dinosaurs looked like.  Check out Nottingham University’s Life Science collection that will also be on display.

There will also be plenty of exciting activities and workshops to keep families entertained at Wollaton Hall too.  A free “Dino Explorer Zone” is being installed to provide families with a range of themed activities and puzzles.

All in all, there’s enough going on to make every young dinosaur fan roar with excitement and for the mums, dads, grandparents and guardians, you can expect to learn something new about these amazing prehistoric monsters.

Tickets for the exhibition are now on sale.  Prices are £7.70 for an adult and £5.50 for a child.  Family tickets are £22 for two adults and two children.  Children under five go free, so there really is no excuse – catch up with the dinosaurs from July 1st until October 29th!

For more information, please visit the Wollaton Hall website.

Please note this exhibition has now closed.

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.