The surprising relationship between ducks and dinosaurs will be revealed during a special Western Australian Museum Harry Butler Lecture Series: In the Wild West lecture at the Onslow Shire Hall on September 12.
‘Dinosaurs of the 21st Century: masters of the skies’, presented by palaeontology curator Dr Mikael Siversson, will explain how 125 million year old raptor dinosaur fossils from China have confirmed the long-held belief that birds and dinosaurs are closely related.
“The distinction between raptor dinosaurs and birds becomes blurred when you go back in time to the Early Cretaceous period, which started 145 million years ago.
“Many of the early birds had teeth set in sockets like a Tyrannosaurus rex, and early raptor dinosaurs were covered with feathers.
“Dinosaurs are often portrayed as the epitome of evolutionary failure, having completely died out – however these new findings, strongly indicating birds are dinosaurs, are challenging that view,” Dr Siversson said.
The lecture will take the audience on a journey through time from the earliest dinosaurs in the Triassic period 230 million years ago, to the modern day species better known as birds.
Dr Mikael Siversson is a Curator of Palaeontology at the Western Australian Museum, and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia.
Dr Siversson was part of the team that discovered and described the first horned herbivore dinosaurs (ceratopsians) from Europe, and led the team that discovered the first and only known mammal from the age of the dinosaurs in Scandinavia.
Entry for the lecture is by gold coin donation, with bookings essential online at www.museum.wa.gov.au/inthewildwest
The Harry Butler lecture series: In the Wild West is proudly presented by the WA Museum in partnership with Chevron Australia. The series showcases the work of Museum scientists, curators and associates in the areas of natural and social sciences.
LECTURE: ‘Dinosaurs of the 21st century: masters of the skies’
WHEN: Wednesday 12 September, 7pm
WHERE: Onslow Shire Hall, Second Avenue, Onslow
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL: www.museum.wa.gov.au/inthewildwest
COST: By gold coin donation
Niki Comparti, Western Australian Museum, 6552 7805, Niki.Comparti@museum.wa.gov.au
