Flagstaff Festival of Science Sept 21st-30th

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - It had feathers, but scientists don’t think it could fly; it was found deep in an ancient sea, but scientists don’t think it lived in water; it had three long, sickle-like claws on each hand, but scientists don’t know why. So when the therizinosaur (thair-uh-zi’-na-sore) skeleton was found in the southern Utah desert, scientists were stumped.

The puzzling discovery of this odd, eight-foot-tall gangly dinosaur and how it became lost in an unfriendly sea will set the stage for the 2007 Flagstaff Festival of Science when scientists explore Dino Might. (or Big Ideas. . .or. . .Bare Bones. . or Baffled by Bones. . .or Unsolved Mysteries. . .or. . .) Lead scientist in the excavation of the therizinosaur skeleton and Festival keynote presenter Dr. David Gillette is scheduled to kick off the FREE 10-day event with Therizinosaur– Mystery of the Sickle Claw Dinosaur at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 21 in Ardrey Auditorium at Northern Arizona University.

Gillette, the Colbert Curator of Paleontology at the Museum of Northern Arizona, has been chasing dinosaurs for 40 years and remains mystified and fascinated by his find. “I believe the therizinosaur is part of the story of evolution. It had feathers before dinosaurs could fly. It had a small weak head with a toothless beak, yet its closest relative was the tyrannosaurus rex, which had crushing jaws; and the sea where this skeleton was found would have been filled with dreadfully vicious predators like giant sharks and 40-foot-long plesiosaurs.”

To understand more about of this big-bellied beast and how it met its demise, scientists are recreating the 90-million-year-old setting with a Cretaceous crime scene investigation of sorts and inviting Festival participants to join in this story of enduring mystery. In addition, an exhibit created by local scientists and artists - Therizinosaur - Mystery of the Sickle Claw Dinosaur - runs from Sept. 16 through March 29, 2008 at the Museum of Northern Arizona.

The 2007 Flagstaff Festival of Science Dino Might (or whatever), Sept. 21 through Sept. 30, is celebrating its 18th season with more than 60 activities including archaeological digs, guided hikes, presentations and hands-on exhibits. Through the generous support of businesses, organizations and individuals, the Festival is able to offer all activities for free. Supernova Friends include the City of Flagstaff, W. L. Gore & Associates and NAU. For more on the developing program, visit the Festival Web site, www.scifest.org.

A ten-day family event with open houses, lectures, in-school presentations, hikes and excursions.

Source: Flagstaff Festival of Science 2007

To read more about the desert, go to DesertUSA.com.

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