Amber Secrets: Feathers from the Age of Dinosaurs brings amazing specimens to Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) has the stuff movies are made about at their latest exhibit, Amber Secrets: Feathers from the Age of the Dinosaurs and delivers some of the best of the best.

This special exhibit, Amber Secrets: Feathers from the Age of Dinosaurs, features the finest collection of Burmese amber on Earth at the Morian Hall of Paleontology at HMNS.  

The exquisite hard polymer resin has fossilized slices of life from the Mid-Cretaceous period. Beyond the exterior, there’s even something more special. Never seen before are the FEATHERS, both different textures and colors, featured in this exhibit.

During the first month of its opening, check out more special events including Amber Workshop with HMNS Associate Curator of Paleontology David Temple Tuesday, March 1 at 6 p.m. (tickets $45, members $35) and a behind-the-scenes tour of the exhibit Monday, March 7 at 6 p.m. (tickets $27, members $17).

Trapped inside the amber formed from damaged trees from the forests of Burma are insects, small animals, seeds, leaves and other organic material. Discover ants with giant pincers here along with cycads, ferns, conifers and vegetation.

Dr. David Grimaldi, Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History, detailed how the exhibit emphasizes the beauty of incredible fossils from between 66 to 144 million years ago.

Pieces on display have been carefully chosen from 4,000 specimens and are very select pieces.

“Some are particularly unique,” Grimaldi said. “They’re very rare and are the best examples of a specimen. No place in the world has this Burma amber. This is the best assembly of Burma amber you’re going to see in this country. There’s quite a diversity.”

Visitors have the chance to view more than 100 gorgeous specimens, some up close with magnifying glasses, discovering fascinating fossils and feathers some dating back as 99 million years ago.  

Amber Secrets: Feathers from the Age of Dinosaurs will be at the Houston Museum of Natural Science until March 26, 2017.  For tickets or more information, visit www.hmns.org or call (713) 639-4629.

 

 

PHOTO CREDIT:

V. Sweeten