Archaeopteryx, the earliest and most primitive bird known
Modern day visitors to Mansfield may not realise it, but dinosaurs once held sway in the north Nottinghamshire town - and Mansfield Museum has the footprints to prove it.
The museum is currently hosting an exhibition of dinosaur-related artefacts called The Age of the Dinosaurs, which includes footprints found in Gregory’s Quarry in 1986.
Dinosaur prints found in Gregory’s Quarry, Mansfield in 1986
As well as the local dinosaur, the exhibition features a cast of characters that range from a Jurassic crocodile, a T-Rex skeleton and a model Stegosaurus.
Fossils loaned from the impressive palaeontology collection at the New Walk Museum in Leicester are also on display, including an iguanodon right tibia found on the Isle of Wight and a group of vertebra found on the Sussex coast.
Visitors can also see an outstanding cast of a tooth from a T-Rex and the fossil cast of an Archaeopteryx, the earliest and most primitive bird, with many features in common with the dinosaurs of the Late Jurassic Period around 150–148 million years ago.
Themed sections discuss topics such as Dinosaur Dinners, Battling Dinosaurs and Death of the Dinosaurs, while a number of simple interactives allow exploration of subjects such as fossil hunting and dinosaur diet.
During half-term holiday week the museum will be offering children and their carers a different Dino-themed ArtBeat session every day.
An early contender for best session is Wednesday’s Dinosaur Picnic, when youngsters are encouraged to bring along their favourite dinosaur and a bite to eat for some dinocentric fun.
- Find out more about Dinosaur Footprints found in the Mansfield area at www.ourmansfieldandarea.org.uk
