Chinese Dinosaurs Invade Dallas

20 life size skeletons & 5 anamatronics

Kids and dinosaur enthusiasts can now enjoy prehistoric discoveries from Asia.

The fossils and life-size skeletons are all on display at Dallas’s Museum of Nature and Science.

"This exhibit is neat because it brings together a bunch of different dinosaurs, a lot of animals that we don't usually get to see on this continent,” said Paleontologist Ron Tykoski from the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science.

The "Chinasaurs" dinosaur exhibit showcases the Triassic, Jurassic  and Cretaceous periods with 20 full-scale skeletons and five animatronic ones.

"They do show there was a good amount of exchange between North America and Asia later in the age of dinosaurs. What we had here was a gap in the geologic record where a lot of research had been done in Europe and North America, we just didn't have rocks of the right age, of the right kind," said Tykoski.

A more detailed history is emerging thanks to discoveries made in China.

"We love when we find stuff like that. It helps flesh out the story, but it also raises new questions, new areas of research," said Tykoski.

There have been many large discoveries in China over the last three decades due to the country's increased commitment to searching for them and also by way of random discovery as construction workers found fossils as china's cities expanded.

"Something comes in unexpected. Sometimes those are the neatest finds," said Tykoski.

Discovery during construction is common.

It even happens in DFW and around the country.

The most recent and thought provoking discoveries about dinosaurs are coming from Asia.

"This just gives us a nice glimpse. It give the public a nice glimpse of some of the diversity of the animals that are out there. That you see something you normally don't get to see here in North America. So, I think that's really the value of this exhibit here,” said Tykoski.
 

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