Yesterday I was running on very little sleep, 40 minutes even. And if you’ve ever spoken to me about my roommates, you know this isn’t exactly the right house to be in if you want to fall asleep around 9 pm… you’re bound to be awoken by something or someone. I need to find things to do to keep me occupied until around 11 or 12 when I can actually go around and say “shut up” to everyone and not feel like I’m being unreasonable. So last night I watched Jurassic Park (a common pass time for me) and it reminded (is it reminded? I feel like it should be “remound” but that’s definitely not a word) me of an article that Gordo had sent to me a few days ago about an exhibit debunking dinosaur myths. (to actually read it, you’ll have to sign up.)

In Jurassic Park they say that they had clocked the T-Rex at about 32 km an hour.

Recent research suggests T. rex more likely moved at speeds of 10 to 25 m.p.h.—faster than its prey, but probably not as fast as the speeding jeep in “Jurassic Park.” Though the 5- to-7-ton dinosaur had massive leg muscles, the effort required to move those huge limbs likely slowed the animal down.

…

The Field has long been known for its collection of dinosaur specimens, including Sue, the largest, most complete T. rex skeleton ever recovered. The new exhibition aims to complement the museum’s permanent “Evolving Planet” exhibit by moving beyond what fossils tell us about evolution.

…

Makovicky cautioned that comparisons to modern-day animals can be tricky. Sauropods, gentle giants with long eel-like necks, were often thought to move like giraffes, reaching their necks high to snap leaves from trees. The idea was so widespread that museum exhibits used to display dinosaur skeletons in such poses.

Computer simulation research by Kent Stevens at the University of Oregon, however, shows that sauropods could not have craned their necks upward; their vertebrae simply didn’t allow it.

If only I could see this exhibit. OH! Wait a second! I CAN! Wooo. It’s at the Field Museum from March 30 - September 3. The Field Museum is in Chicago… Where am I going to be in August? Oh yeah… Chicago. So those of you traveling to Chicago for the Kos Convention this summer - we’re making a stop at the Field Museum to fill my dinosaur needs. Checking out the highlights of the exhibit already got me super excited. What seems really neat about it is that there will be lots of new information for someone like me, an avid dinosaur lover, but at the same time it seems to be easy enough for kids to understand.

I say that because under “food” for the tyrannosaurus it says “other animals”. I’m guessing if they were trying to keep it geared towards adults and people who knew a thing or two they would have just used “carnivore”… But you know, kids love dinosaurs, so it’s cool that it’s being inclusive. If you’re going to be in Chicago, you really should check this thing out.