Join the H. Earl Clack Museum for a special tradition! Bring the whole family for Christmas Crafts, Dinosaur Eggs, and frost some cookies! The event will be in the former Clack Museum at the north end of the Holiday Village Mall. Free to attend!
Join Dr. David Varricchio, Professor of Earth Sciences at MSU, to learn about dinosaur behavior from fossil assemblages of bones and eggshells. Examine modern nesting sites and mass drownings to explore what they might tell us about the lives of dinosaurs.
Price:
Included with MOR membership.
$7.50 non-members.
On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, actualized by UNESCO and UN-Women, join us to engage in a variety of family-friendly activities from local women in STEM, a book signing by paleontologist and PBS Eons host and paleontologist Kallie Moore, as well as a screening of the short documentary film The Bearded Lady Project: Challenging the Face of Science. Then, join us for an eye-opening panel discussion about the struggles and successes of women in the geosciences with Lexi Jamieson Marsh and Dr. Ellen Currano, the masterminds behind the exhibition. About The Bearded Lady Project: This film and accompanying photo exhibition demonstrate the competencies and passions of female paleontologists and how this unfair, gendered stereotype can be easily diminished with the donning of a beard. With some well-placed facial hair, any female scientist can be perceived as equally rugged, tough, and determined.
Join us for a prehistoric Valentine’s Day date-night experience at Museum of the Rockies. We all know about the birds and the bees, but have you ever wondered how sauropods, the largest dinosaurs, mated? Enjoy wine tasting from Plonk and delectable appetizers. Learn about dinosaur reproduction in a special lecture from MOR Lab and Field Manager Lee Hall. View adult-related historical objects from the museum’s history collection with Curator of Cultural History Michael Fox. In addition, view a special show in the Taylor Planetarium about scandal in the stars. Don’t miss this unique night!
Calling all singles! Find someone you really “dig” at Museum of the Rockies. Want to meet your match or find new friends with similar interests in natural history? Join Jaimi Boyd, Founder of Mix & Mingle, at the beginning of the evening and search for a little ROAR-mance for the night through fun activities. Includes admission to Pour & Roar: Raptors and Romance and a glass of wine.
Montana is full of the exciting science that happens right in your backyard! On select Saturdays in the main lobby, meet a Montana scientist and learn about their area of specialization. Researchers will be displaying real specimens, artifacts, and touchable items that will be sure to spark curiosity in the natural world. From snow science to paleontology, there are so many interesting subjects for everyone to enjoy!
The Varricchio Family Paleontology Laboratory at MSU provides space and equipment for undergraduate and graduate students to prepare and study fossils as part of various research endeavors. Zakaria Hannebaum is an Undergraduate Researcher at Montana State University and the Lab Manager for the Varricchio Family Paleontology Laboratory at MSU. Zakaria’s research focuses on understanding the taphonomic processes affecting the preservation of the small dinosaur called Orodromeus, along with analyzing the population dynamics of this species throughout the Two Medicine Formation in Montana.
The early bear fossil record is poorly sampled, providing little insight into the preferred diet, habitat, and locomotion of the first bears to evolve in North America. In this presentation, Dr. Clint Boyd, Senior paleontologist of the North Dakota Geological Survey, discusses the study of the nearly complete skeleton of a housecat-sized early bear relative from the Oligocene (~32 million years ago) of North Dakota that provides detailed insights into the anatomy and lifestyle of one of the most iconic carnivores alive today.
Ichthyosaurs, or “dolphin-shaped” marine reptiles, swam the seas for 160 million years and are known for their exquisite and complete preservation in the fossil record. Join Museum of the Rockies Outreach Program Manager Ashley Hall as she tells the story of how one seemingly complete ichthyosaur specimen was discovered to be an amalgamation of multiple skeletons from two different European countries, including one very rare specimen. How does fossil forgery happen, and what can we learn from these “Frankenstein” fossils?
Join us for the 2nd Annual Dinosaurs & MOR! event. This national gathering of leading paleontologists will bring together hundreds of people and feature renowned scientists from around the country.
This event is designed for both adults and children. It features a range of activities to celebrate the science of paleontology, including a keynote talk from John “Jack” Horner, Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, former Curator of Paleontology at MOR, and scientific advisor to the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World Series.
Discoveries made by paleontologists continue to shed new light on the deep past of the planet and the creatures that arose here. MOR’s Presenting Prehistory Paleontology Speaker Series explores recent findings and current hypotheses as conveyed by scientists actively exploring how life on Earth has changed through time and what the fossils of extinct organisms can teach us about the world today.
Hager Auditorium
Members: Free, Non-members: $7.50
Refreshments will be provided post-lecture during the speaker meet-and-greet.