April, 2005 - Nr. 4
What came first?
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
Toronto’s famous Royal Ontario Museum, ROM, is a rare institution. Not only does it hold large anthropological exhibits but it also engages in archaeological specialties. Being in the middle of major reconstruction and fabulous expansion does not stop this institution from surprising a huge supportive population with yet another amazing exhibit.
![Predator vs. predator or Sybille vs. the dragon [photo: Robert Sandbo]](504c-Dino-a.jpg)
This
one has most of its components from vast dinosaur digs in China and poses
the question of what came first: Dinosaurs that can fly or dinosaurs that
look like bird-like creatures because of their feathered appearance, but
could not fly. What developed into what, that is the question that still
cannot be answered with total certainty, but science fiction writers would
venture to say that the planet in its formative stages had less atmosphere
than later on and therefore it stands to reason that the flying variety came
about before the non-flying one.
![Bird or dinosaur [photo: Robert Sandbo]](504c-Dino-b.jpg)
No
matter how it happened, the awesome exhibit inspires the imagination of an
artist as much as the inquisitive mind of a scientist. It gives an adult the
feeling of understanding the fascination children of all ages have had for a
long time with these creatures that roamed the earth before man set an
uncertain foot upon it.
![Fiercely colourful [photo: Robert Sandbo]](504c-Dino-c.jpg)
Regardless,
the lifelike exhibits of the recreations transmit a sense of imminent death
or survival, that age-old dilemma of run or get caught, eat or be eaten.
![Skeletons of dinosaur birds found in China at the ROM [photo: Robert Sandbo]](504c-Dino-d.jpg)
One
cannot help but be astounded about the level of perfect preservation -
brought about by instant volcanic fixation, and at the incredible colours of
these creatures, some of which are huge, others are small, but they are
always fascinating.
If you want to learn more go to www.rom.on.ca, but visit the exhibit between now and September 5, 2005. And if you really want to have fun take a couple of kids. They can and will explain everything. They know!
