Museums & Collections | April 5, 2024

Springfield Dinosaur Eggs Museum Exhibit

A new exhibit featuring fossilized dinosaur eggs and nests from around the world.

by Nell Porter-Brown

From The May-June 2024 Issue

mural of dinosaurs and boy touching a fossil — Photograph by sILvER PLUME EXHIBITIONS

Tiny Titans: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies, a new hands-on exhibit at the Springfield Science Museum, brings the prehistoric creatures closer to life. Visitors get to see a variety of fossilized dinosaur eggs and nests collected from across the globe. (That includes a sauropod’s 75-million-year-old bowling-ball-sized egg from Argentina, a cluster of ornithopod eggs laid from China, and, also from China, 18-inch eggs—the longest ever found—from a giant species of oviraptor. These objects offer new perspectives on how dinosaurs reproduced, evolved, and behaved. Lifelike embryos and hatchlings on display highlight nesting and birthing processes, while giant colorful posters contextualize dinosaur habitats. The exhibit also explains how in 1993 American fossil-preparer Charlie Magovern was working on a block of eggs unearthed in China’s Henan Province, when he discovered a nearly complete, fully articulated skeleton of an embryo encased in the stone surrounding the egg—the first of its kind. The embryo was officially identified in 2017 as a new oviraptor species and named Beibeilong sinensis (“baby dragon from China”). This family-friendly exhibit also offers chances to touch replicas of bones and nests, dig for fossils, and learn more about current research into the lives and habits of these ever-fascinating extinct animals. (May 25-September 1)

Published in the May-June 2024 print issue under the headline “Dinosaur Babies,” in the Harvard Squared section.

You might also like

Ancient Egyptian painted sarcophagus with detailed hieroglyphs and a woman's face.

Padimut at Harvard

A rare Egyptian mummy case is on display at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East.

A vase of yellow flowers on a table next to an orange and a glass.

There’s a New Sargent Painting in Town

Harvard Art Museums restores a rare glimpse of an American master.

Smiling woman stands beside a large skull in a display cabinet.

Don’t Call Stephanie Pierce A Paleontologist

From competing in youth gymnastics to studying tetrapods, the Harvard curator has always chased her curiosity.

Most popular

A woman jogs on a path beside a boy riding a bicycle, surrounded by trees.

To Promote Healthy Habits in Patients, Start with the Doctors

Why Harvard Medical School is training physicians to think more like coaches

Two smiling individuals pose together outdoors, surrounded by autumn foliage and a stone sign.

Harvard Law School Announces $31.4 Million Donation

The school’s largest-ever gift comes after a year of record fundraising.

Bronze statue of a seated figure holding a book, with a campus setting in the background.

How Philosophy at Harvard Saved Itself

As humanities shrink across higher education, one department is flourishing. Is its success a fluke, or a roadmap?

Explore More From Current Issue

Illuminated hanging sculptures resembling organic forms, casting warm light in a dim space.

Arts & Culture

Artists Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien turn a colonial symbol from Cambodia inside out.

Black and white portrait of a woman with medium-length hair, smiling softly.

Alumni

The outgoing executive director and Harvard Business School graduate went from dancing The Nutcracker to growing a ballet company.

Panoramic view of Harvard University with autumn foliage and a river under a cloudy sky.

University News

The University is expanding industry ties and investing its own funds to support research, but neither will replace lost federal dollars.