Watch the preparation of the Dueling Dinosaurs fossil!
Use our cameras to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Dueling Dinosaurs fossil as it is being prepared for research. When the SECU DinoLab is closed, the live feed will be offline, and you can view a short timelapse video of our progress.
Paleo Events
Enjoy paleontology-themed special events and educational experiences for all ages.
Science Cafe: The Nanotyrannus Question
Thursday, May 16, 2024 | 7:00pm–8:00pm
Daily Planet Cafe, NRC 1st Floor | Virtual: YouTube
The Story Behind the Greatest Debate in Paleontology
In 1942, the skull of a small tyrannosaur was discovered in Montana. In the years since, its identity has become the topic of the biggest controversy in paleontology. One camp of researchers believes it represents a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex that died before it reached adulthood; another maintains that it is a different species altogether, which they call Nanotyrannus. Very few similar fossils have been found since, and those we have discovered have so far failed to resolve this lingering mystery. We’ll hear the history of this debate, what the case of Nanotyrannus shows us about how science is done, and the role the Dueling Dinosaurs tyrannosaur may play in solving this mystery once and for all.
Paleo Discoveries
Read the latest News & Research Updates from the NCMNS Paleontology team.
Dig This: ‘Neglected’ Dinosaur Had Super Senses
A CT scan of an often-overlooked, plant-eating dinosaur’s skull reveals that while it may not have been all that “brainy,” it had a unique combination of traits associated with living animals that spend at least part of their time underground, including a super sense of smell and outstanding balance. The work is the first to link a specific sensory fingerprint with this behavior in extinct dinosaurs.
Armored archosaur discovery reveals complexity of dinosaur origins
A team of American and Malagasy researchers, including NCMNS Research Curator of Paleontology Dr. Christian Kammerer, have discovered a new species of prehistoric reptile that provides important information on the early history of the dinosaur lineage. The new species, Mambachiton fiandohana, was discovered during fieldwork in the Morondava Basin in southwestern Madagascar.
Supporters
The Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit is made possible by generous donations to the Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences from the following organizations.
Jandy Ammons Foundation
Anonymous
Edward M. Armfield Sr. Foundation, Inc.
Robert & Carol Bilbro
Carlyle Adams Foundation
Josephus Daniels Charitable Fund of the Triangle Community Foundation
Delta Dental of North Carolina
Anne Faircloth & Fred Beaujeu-Dufour
HH Architecture
Hillsdale Fund, Inc.
Institute of Museum and Library Sciences
Betsy Anne Bradshaw Lumsden
Maynard Family Foundation
Julia McMillan & Jed Dietz
Mary McMillan
Robert M. McMillan Jr.
Jane & William K. Morgan
Andrea Nixon & Brent Friedenberg
Our State Magazine
PBS North Carolina
PNC Foundation
Frances & Steve Porter Family Fund of the Winston-Salem Foundation
The Re Corr Family Foundation
Mary Margaret & Kade Ross
Kay Shipman Schoellhorn
Stephanie & Dana Simpson
Temple Sloan Family Foundation
Ann & Wade Smith
Susan & Chris Valauri
Anita Watkins
Wells Fargo Foundation
WRAL
WUNC, North Carolina Public Radio