Robotic T. Rex. Image courtesy of the Museum of Science

Dinosaurs have been a highlight of Boston’s Museum of Science for decades. The Museum’s original Tyrannosaurus Rex model was positioned in the lower level to place its head at your eye level, so it would stare at you as you walked in. A new, horizontally aligned model now towers over the permanent dinosaur exhibit in the lower level of the Blue Wing. (In case you missed that update from the paleontologists, the mighty dinosaur did not stand upright.) So the original model was moved outside to the Museum’s drive and stares down at the Duck Boats in the front drive.

Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries is a new temporary exhibit with updated portrayals of the prehistoric creatures. Through recently discovered fossils, life-size dinosaur models, computer simulations, and biomechanical engineering, visitors will learn about the latest understandings of these ancient beasts.

There is a 700-square-foot diorama that highlights a diversity of animals existing in a Mesozoic forest in China. There are dozens of life-size models of dinosaurs, reptiles, early birds, and mammals in action poses.

A six-foot-long mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex scale model (pictured above) walks in place, demonstrating biomechanical studies on dinosaur movement. T. Rex is much slower and has a much bigger wiggle than I expected. I looks like you can drive a jeep to escape from the rampaging monster.

Other exhibit highlights include:

• A model of the largest Mesozoic mammal yet uncovered, the badger-sized Repenomamus giganticus, shown in the diorama stalking baby dinosaurs;
• A cast of Bambiraptor feinbergi that shows the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and modern birds;
• A full-size cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex in a dynamic pose;
• A shiny 60-foot-long metallic re-creation of an Apatosaurus skeleton;
• Videos highlighting the evidence for theories on dinosaur extinction, including asteroid impact, global climate change, and massive volcanic eruptions.

There are a few video screens and a few buttons to push, but very few hands-on activities. That means a lot of looking and reading for my 3-year old and 7-year old. I think I was more impressed than the kids, although my son would have sat and watched the extinction video all day. My early education linked dinosaurs to reptiles. Evidence shows them being more closely related to birds. That means lots of dinosaurs with feathers in the exhibit.

Not part of the exhibit

You can’t go the Dinosaurs exhibit without visiting the museum’s permanent dinosaur exhibit. T. Rex towers over a Triceratops fossil named Cliff. On long-term loan to the Museum, Cliff is one of only four widely known, near-complete Triceratops skeletons on public display in the world.

In addition to museum admission, I was also given a showing of Waking the T. Rex: The Story of Sue, a film presented by D3D Cinema and The Field Museum. The Field Museum’s T. rex, Sue, comes to computer-generated life and walks again as scientists use fossil clues to re-create her eventful life. The story involves a violent battle with a Triceratops that may not be suitable for young children.

Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries will be presented at the Museum of Science from June 5 through August 21, 2011.