HOUSTON – Opening to the public on May 27, the newest exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, “Sharks! The Meg, The Monsters, & The Myths,” will feature life-sized models, tanks, photo opportunities, interactives, astonishing footage, and sobering warnings about extinction.
Following are a few of the exhibition’s “fin-tastic” features.
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The mighty megalodon
One of the first objects you encounter in the exhibit, which has the dark feel of an underwater cavern, is a model of a megalodon, an ancient shark that went extinct some 3.6 million years ago. Measuring about 50 feet long, the enormous predator is considered the largest shark, as well as the largest fish, that ever lived. With its gaping jaws, the exhibition’s megalodon serves as a kind of greeter, welcoming visitors with a toothy smile.
Fossilized feces
Bone’s aren’t the only fossils. Millions of years ago, nature called. Coprolite, fossilized feces, can provide extraordinarily detailed insight into the long-lost critters it came from. A replica of one such specimen is displayed in the show’s gallery. The object, megalodon coprolite, is distinctive for its unique spiral shape, a product of the shark’s intestines which are shaped like corkscrews.
Toothy tokens
At another station, collect a “jawsome” keepsake. Select a Miocene epoch fossilized shark tooth and attempt to identify it with the help of a curator.
Specimens of the sea
Lastly, at the final station in the exhibition, see bamboo and epaulette sharks, stingrays, and an array of aquatic invertebrates, such as sea urchins.
Scroll below for a look inside the exhibition.
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