Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibition open at Imagination Station

        Prehistoric creatures from the other side of the world meet cutting-edge technology in “Ultimate Dinosaurs: A New Breed of Beast” at Imagination Station.
        The exhibition, which features 20 fully articulated dinosaur specimens from unusual locations in the Southern Hemisphere, opened June 1.
        Based on new, groundbreaking research from scientists around the world, Ultimate Dinosaurs reveals a new breed of dinosaurs that evolved in isolation in South America, Africa and Madagascar – dinosaurs that are unfamiliar to most North Americans. The exhibition seeks to answer the question: why are southern dinosaurs so unique and bizarre, and why are they so different from their North American counterparts?
        Ultimate Dinosaurs also features new technology experiences that uniquely bring the specimens to life.
        “We are thrilled to have dinosaurs back at the science center,” said Lori Hauser, chief executive officer of Imagination Station. “Ultimate Dinosaurs is the epitome of bringing science to life. Rarely seen specimens and new technology combine to put a modern spin on the classic dinosaur exhibits that we know and love. Visitors of all ages will meet prehistoric species they’ve never seen before and experience what life was like millions of years ago.”
        Visitors will discover the amazing diversity of species that evolved as a result of the break-up of supercontinent Pangaea into the continents that we know today and explore the ways that continental drift affected the evolution of dinosaurs during the Mesozoic Era, 250-65 million years ago.
        Meet the DinoStars:
         • Eoraptor, a bipedal dinosaur that lived about 228 million years ago that had two different kinds of teeth – both serrated and flat – indicating that it was an omnivore.
        • Rapetosaurus, a titanosaur that’s named after the mischievous Malagasy folklore giant, Rapeto. As an adult, Rapetosaurus may have been up to 60 feet long.
        • Malawisaurus, one of the earliest titanosaurs, was a sauropod from Africa. Like most titanosaurs, Malawisaurus had bones in its skin, similar to those in modern crocodiles.
        • Amargasaurus, an herbivorous sauropod from Argentina, had a distinctive double row of spines on its neck and back. These colored, spine-like sails may have been used to signal other members of its species.
        • Suchomimus, a spinosaur from the Sahara Desert in Niger. This animal was 33 feet long and would have weighed more than 6,600 pounds.
        • Giganotosaurus, the largest carnivorous dinosaur from Gondwana and perhaps the largest land predator ever. Giganotosaurus is similar in size to Laurasia’s more famous Tyrannosaurus rex.
        In addition to seeing the specimens, learning more about the adaptations that made them unique and using augmented reality technology to make them come to life, families can expect hands-on activities that will help them explore physical characteristics like crests and frills, stride patterns and more.
        Ultimate Dinosaurs is produced by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto. The curation of the exhibition was led by Dr. David Evans, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology in the ROM’s Department of Natural History.
        Imagination Station is located at 1 Discovery Way, Toledo. For more information, call 419-255-2674 or visit imaginationstationtoledo.org.