Don’t be a dodo, make sure you visit the new Extinction exhibition at Peterborough Museum!
There’s always plenty to see at Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery on Priestgate and their latest showcase exhibition is a fantastic new attraction.
Extinction runs from July 9 – November 6, admission is free and it's suitable for all ages with something for everyone.
You can explore fossils, seized artefacts and life-sized casts brought together to explore the history of extinction. It looks at how creatures from the past became extinct, why it happened and what we can do to save endangered species and protect the planet.
One of the highlights of the exhibition includes the sensational Must Farm plesiosaur – a long-necked marine reptile, which can be dated back to 165 million years ago. This rare find was discovered in 2016 by Darren Withers, a volunteer at the museum. With thanks to Forterra and volunteers, the museum has been able to excavate the specimen and proudly have it on display for the first time since its discovery.
Like all things dinosaur? Then this exhibition has you covered with real life fossils dating back millions of years, on loan from the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, and lots of toothy displays of skulls from pre-historic creatures and dinosaurs including a replica cast of a Diplodocus similar to ‘Dippy’ from the Natural History Museum.
Extinction affects us all and one in ten of our wildlife in the UK is critically endangered. Scientists have identified five periods of mass extinction over the geological record and the question is now being asked: are we in a sixth? This exhibition addresses this fascinating topic and journeys through the demise of the dinosaurs and marine reptiles, death of the ice age mammoths and the impact of humans on the dodo.
Many factors are contributing to extinction – one of the biggest factors being human impact. You’ll witness a powerful display of African Elephant tusks and case of seized items such as a Rock Python Skin and a preserved Green Turtle from Australia – on loan from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), highlighting the impact of illegal wildlife trade and the law.
Gemma Harper, CEO of JNCC said: “We’re delighted to be part of this exciting new exhibition at Peterborough Museum and to showcase our work on The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It’s a great way to demonstrate how we work in partnership, using scientific evidence, to protect nature.”
Make a day of it! Alongside the exhibition Peterborough Museum have lots of fun family activities running every week this summer (July 24 – August 26) from themed arts & crafts sessions to event days such as Zoo-seum and the Big Green Day. For more details and prices visit www.peterboroughmuseum.org.uk.
The Extinction exhibition has been developed with funding from The Curry Fund - The Geologists’ Association, Arts Council England, and Forterra.
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