Idaho dinosaur on display this weekend
Idaho’s most famous dinosaur, Oryctodromeus, will be on display beginning Saturday at the Idaho Museum of Natural History.
The dinosaur was a large-dog sized, plant-eating dinosaur that probably dug burrows for its young. A large number of fossils for the dinosaur, whose scientific name means “digging runner,” have been found in southeast Idaho near Wayan and Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
The new exhibit was created by children age 11 to 15 who participated in Dino Camps this summer. “I think this is a game changer for how museums think about creating exhibits,” said Leif Tapanila, museum director. “It really allows for citizen science, bringing it to the kid level and training them up on how to use this equipment. I am positive we are the first museum to do this but I guarantee you that other museums will start doing it once they see how it can be done.”
The Idaho Dinosaur Exhibit will feature a diorama of a mother Oryctodromeus and its baby in their burrow. The exhibit will be on display until Oct. 9 when it will be replaced by The Buzzsaw Sharks of Idaho exhibit. The Idaho Dinosaur Exhibit will then be moved to the Gate City Fine Arts Gallery in Old Town Pocatello before returning to the Idaho Museum of Natural History as a permanent exhibit.
