Yay May!!!

Warmer weather has arrived in the mountains and we are seeing a steady increase in camper traffic on the week-ends as Coloradans head for the hills. We love this time of year as we have more visitors stopping by the RMDRC as they travel to all that our beautiful area has to offer. Woodland Park is truly the gateway to all of your favorite outdoor fun. Get out this week-end and enjoy nature and stop by to see us, we are right on your way.

We are seeing a significant number of school tours. Teachers, if you haven’t booked your students tour, call Deb at 719-686-1820 X104 to book right away before all times are reserved!

Saturday, May 6 - 1:00pm-2:00pm…We start our month with Science Matters presenting the Science of Sound… Come explore the Science of Sound and play with sound waves. Explore science through toys like the humming harmonica, the pipe orchestra, tuning forks and more. Join the band, play a tune and take home the harmonica built by YOU!

The month of May has our annual Children’s Book Week promotion. During the week of May 1-7, any book purchase over $10.00 will receive a 15% discount. If you are a RMDRC member, your membership discount of 10% can be added to that for a whopping 25% off all book purchases over $10.00. This is a once a year sale on books so take advantage of buying gifts for all of your family and friends.

Mother’s Day is May 14th this year and the RMDRC will be giving Mom’s free admission with any other paid admission on Sunday from 10am-5pm. Bring Mom in for a tour with our fabulous Visitor Experience Guides. We have a beautiful selection of

jewelry, wine glasses, book ends and more that would make a fabulous gift for mom. Come by soon to check them out in our Prehistoric Paradise store which is packed with 1000’s of new items for every age group.

May 20, Sat-11:00am-3:00pm…Challenger Learning Center will present “Living in Space”. This presentation is about human survival through the many challenges in space. You will learn what happens with your muscles in space, the effects of

microgravity, astronaut hygiene, food and eating in space. You will also see a moon suit and learn how it works. The program goes from 11:00am-3:00pm. Each presentation is 25 minutes long. The first presentation will start at 11:30am and the last presentation is at 2:30pm.

Sunday, May 28th, 1:15pm-2:30pm...The Morris Dancers will be performing on the RMDRC plaza. Morris dancing is from the southern coastal region of England and the dances are usually performed by a set of six dancers. The dancers clash sticks or wave handkerchiefs as they perform the figures of the dance. Bells on their legs jingle as they move. Morris dancing dates back at least five hundred years in England. Its origins are unknown, but may be related to seasonal observances intended to wake up the earth in spring, ensure good crops and animals, and strong ale. We do know that some of the earliest records of Morris dancing show that churches would host a team of Morris dancers who would dance at festivals where the church sold the ale they made. This will be the 37th year that Morris dancers from across the Midwest and beyond will be gathering together on Memorial Weekend to celebrate this venerable performance tradition. The Midwest Morris Ale is a travelling event and this will be the 5th time Colorado has been the host. Morris dancers by the busload will be giving public performances at various locations in Woodland Park over the Memorial Weekend. We will be at The Dinosaur Resource Center from 1:15 to 2:30 pm.

FROM THE EDUCATION DESK

FYI:
Is it a Male Dinosaur or a Female Dinosaur?

According to paleontologist Jordan Mallon, the answer may not be as simple as scientists have thought. For decades paleontologists have assumed that dinosaurs exhibited sexual dimorphism. The term “sexual dimorphism” basically means that girls and boys of a species do not look the same, like peacocks and lions. Jordan Mallon on the other hand argues that the fossil record doesn’t support this in the case of dinosaurs.

Despite several journals having been written on the topic, Jordan points out that the data in these journals, while extensive, does not statistically prove that certain species of dinosaur have notable skeletal differences between males and females. Most of these journals make comparisons of bone size or features such as frills or nose horns.

Jordan accuses too many paleontologists of assuming sexual dimorphism exists in dinosaurs and then searching for evidence to back up the claim, which is not how science should function.

"I'm not saying that dinosaurs were not dimorphic, but I am saying that there's no existing fossil evidence to suggest that they were. The jury is still out," says paleontologist Jordan Mallon.
There are some cases though where evidence may be present. For example, in modern birds the females have a layer of medullary bone in some sections of the skeletons which contribute to the calcium used for egg production. Egg production of course is strictly a female trait so there is certainly a possibility that several avian and avian related dinosaurs exhibit medullary bone which would peg a particular specimen as female.

This type of evidence is rare however and it will be a while before the mystery of dinosaur gender is truly unraveled.

Entire article available at http://www.sciencealert.com/researcher-suggests-dinosaur-sexes-might-need-a-rethink
 

Spend some time shopping at Prehistoric Paradise, the largest dinosaur store in the region for hundreds of unique gifts including real fossils, jewelry, games, books, stuffed dinosaurs, t-shirts and much more! A family membership makes a great gift that can be enjoyed for the entire year. If you have someone who’s difficult to buy for, a gift card is the perfect solution. Save yourself time and money by letting our staff gift wrap your purchases free of charge.