Sunday Science Lecture on Dinosaur Hunting in Patagonia
Trenton, NJ — The New Jersey State Museum’s Sunday Science Lecture Series continues on October 5 with a presentation by Drexel University Associate Professor Dr. Kenneth J. Lacovara entitled: Giants at the End of the World: New Dinosaur Discoveries from Patagonia. The lecture will take place at 4:00 pm in the Museum Auditorium, 205 West State Street, in Trenton, NJ, and is sponsored in part by the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum. Admission is free, as is parking in nearby state-owned facilities.
Dr. Lacovara is a distinguished paleontologist and elected fellow of the Explorers Club. Known for his discoveries in some of the world’s most remote regions, he was co-leader of expeditions in the Sahara Desert that unearthed a new dinosaur species, Paralitian stromeri — the second largest land animal ever found. In western China, he studied the remains of 115 million-year-old birds. Closer to home, he excavated a 65 million-year-old crocodile fossil in southern New Jersey near the site where North America’s first complete dinosaur skeleton was discovered in the 1800s.
Dr. Lacavora’s current work in southern Patagonia involves sauropod dinosaurs, the largest creatures to have ever roamed the earth. His research into the Mesozoic Era environment in which they lived — including sea levels, temperature, and atmospheric carbon dioxide — is particularly useful in understanding the effects of global warming.
Lecture guests are invited to stay afterwards for light refreshments in the Auditorium lobby, and to share their own experiences, ideas, and questions with Dr. Lacavora and the Museum’s paleontologists.
Continuing through January 11, 2009, in the Museum’s newly refurbished galleries is the reopening exhibition, Culture in Context: A Tapestry of Expression, exploring arts and craft traditions from around the world that have taken root in the Garden State. The dazzling diversity includes: African-American Gospel singing; storytelling and doll making; Cambodian Court dance; Irish pipes; Native American and South Jersey basket making; Abenaki weaving; West African drumming and dance; Puerto Rican music and dance; Irish set dancing; Chinese knot work; Ukrainian textile arts; Asian Indian traditional arts; Lenape traditional arts; Barnegat Bay decoy carving; traditional rug hooking and more.
Complementing the exhibition are regularly scheduled performances and demonstrations showcasing and teaching about each art form.
The New Jersey State Museum/Department of State has received generous support for its exhibitions and programs from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/NJ Department of State; New Jersey Network Public Television and Radio; The Bunbury Company; The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; the Friends of the New Jersey State Museum; Merrill G. & Emerita E. Hastings Foundation; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey; the New Jersey Historical Commission; New Jersey Council for the Humanities; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Hyde & Watson Foundation; PSEG, PSE&G; Atlantic City Electric; AT&T; Bank of America; and the New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism.
The New Jersey State Museum is located at 205 West State Street, Trenton, NJ. The main building and auditorium are open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:45 pm, and Sunday, noon to 5:00 pm. The Museum is closed Mondays and all state holidays. Exhibitions are also presented in the Museum’s satellite gallery next door in the Department of State building at 225 West State Street. Exhibit hours at this location are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am – 4:45 pm; closed Sundays and all state holidays. On weekends, free parking is available in lots adjacent to and behind the Museum.
For more museum information, please call (609) 292-6464 or visit its website at www.newjerseystatemuseum.org. The New Jersey State Museum is a division of the NJ Department of State.
The New Jersey State Museum offers an exciting range of family-friendly programs and events throughout the 2008/2009 school year. In conjunction with Young Audiences New Jersey, the Museum offers family performances on the second Saturday of each moth, art festivals in October and May, and school-day performances throughout the year. In addition, the Museum also offers science-based school-day performances, gallery tours on the first Friday of each month, weekly film screenings at 1:00 pm on Wednesdays, and exhibition-specific demonstrations and classes. Program information, exhibition schedules and more can be found at www.newjerseystatemuseum.org.
The Friends of the New Jersey State Museum was founded in 1968 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) to support the Museum’s collections, exhibitions and programs through fundraising, volunteerism and advocacy. Friends members comprise the core docent group for the Museum. The Friends also operate a gift shop selling merchandise related to the Museum’s exhibitions and New Jersey history and culture. Proceeds support the Museum’s publications. This year marks the Friends’ 40th anniversary and four decades of a highly successful, rewarding partnership with the Museum.
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