Return to the Ice Age at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age Opens February 15
Denver—January 17, 2013—Walk among the giants of the Ice Age in the dynamic new exhibition Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age, opening Friday, February 15, at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Life-size models of awe-inspiring Ice Age animals, fossil tusks and skulls, interactive videos, and hands-on activities bring this fascinating time in Earth history back to life. Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age is presented in Denver by Delta Dental.
Visitors will examine the differences between mammoths—beasts weighing up to eight tons, bearing tusks up to 16 feet long—and mastodons, their shorter, stockier cousins. The 13,000-square-foot exhibition also looks at the role human predation, climate change, and other factors may have played in the eventual extinction of these giants.
The exhibition includes a replica of Lyuba, a 42,000-year-old baby mammoth. Discovered in 2007 by a Siberian reindeer herder and his sons, Lyuba is by far the best-preserved mammoth specimen ever discovered. Visitors will learn how the science behind Lyuba enhances our understanding of the evolution of mammoths and their modern-day elephant relatives, which are facing their own struggle for survival today.
Also showcased are rare and evocative objects and images, such as spear points, cave paintings, and other prehistoric art, that bring to life how humans interacted with mammoths and mastodons.
Local visitors will enjoy a point of pride for Coloradans as they relive the story of the Snowmastodon Project®, the exceptional Ice Age fossil site unearthed near Snowmass Village in 2010. Visitors will have the opportunity to see a selection of fossils on display for the first time, watch a new educational video about the discovery, and hear about the science that is emerging from the study of this historic site. In addition, exhibition visitors can watch as Museum volunteers clean and prepare fossils from various Colorado dig sites.
“We are thrilled to host this exhibition in Denver,” said George Sparks, President and CEO of the Museum. “In light of the recent discoveries in Snowmass Village, we are pleased to have an opportunity to continue to offer Ice Age experiences and science to the Colorado community.”
Ticket Launch
Tickets go on sale Friday, February 1. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.dmns.org/mammoths.
More Information
This exhibition was created by The Field Museum, Chicago.
Press Kit
Click here for a full press kit.
Press Contact
Charlotte Hurley, [email protected], 303-370-6407.
About the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is the Rocky Mountain Region’s leading resource for informal science education. A variety of engaging exhibits, discussions and activities help Museum visitors celebrate and understand the natural wonders of Colorado, Earth and the universe. The Museum is located at 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO, 80205. To learn more about the Museum, check www.dmns.org, or call 303-370-6000. Many of the Museum’s educational programs and exhibits are made possible in part by the citizens of the seven-county metro area through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.