"Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs"

By virtue of dinosaurs' size, diversity and the fact that they disappeared from the planet such a long time ago, there's hardly a child who isn't fascinated by them. But this show is all about pterosaurs, the fascinating flying relatives of dinosaurs that are, if anything, even more enchanting than their earth-bound contemporaries. Young visitors will learn that these almost mythical creatures, who came into being about 220 million years ago, were a super-diverse bunch, ranging in size from that of a sparrow to the enormity of Tropeognathus mesembrinus, a pterosaur with an astonishing wingspan of 25 feet. (A scale model of the latter will hover above the entrance to the exhibition space.) They'll also discover the similarities between pterosaurs and other flying vertebrates, such as birds and bats, in an interactive area that looks at the evolution and aerodynamics of flight. Kids will even have a chance to "fly" a pterosaur, for a firsthand look at what life in prehistoric times was like from the sky. Rare fossils, as well as replicas and casts of fossils, on view let paleontologist-in-training in on how scientists know as much as they do about these amazing animals. All ages.