Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries highlights recent advances in our understanding of how dinosaurs looked, moved, behaved, and died. Scientists are developing new discoveries, new technologies, and new ideas that continue to transform paleontology. Each section of the exhibition includes artifacts, computer interactives, and "scientist at work" videos presenting the evidence and methodology informing these new theories. The main sections of the exhibition are:

Full scale aluminum Apatosaurus
© AMNH
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How fast could T. rex run? Could huge animals such as Apatosaurus hold their necks and tails high? Engineering principles, complex computer models, and the study of living animals provide the answers. This section explores biomechanics in two extraordinary animals: Tyrannosaurus rex and Apatosaurus. Highlights include a 3-D mechanical T. rex which shows a scientists' depiction, based on the science of biomechanics, of how this enormous creature actually moved; and a full-scale aluminum Apatosaurus designed using a computer-modeling program.

Do dinosaur trackway footprints reveal behavior—such as herding or migration? The classic trackway recreated here—Davenport Ranch—invites visitors to interpret a variety of dinosaur prints. What do the tracks reveal about herd structure? Can you reconstruct an animal from its footprint? How do prints survive for a hundred million years?

What purpose did dinosaurs' elaborate horns and frills serve? An impressive "trophy wall" of ceratopsian and other strangely shaped skulls, as well as horns and antlers from living animals, provide context for the debate over function. New fossils have revealed within-species variation in ornaments and other features, furthering the argument that many frills were for display, not defense.

Dilong paradoxus in his native habitat
© AMNH
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Exceptionally preserved fossils recently discovered in the Liaoning Province in northeastern China have enabled scientists to reconstruct plants and animals in stunning detail. The discovery of these specimens has revolutionized our understanding of several dinosaurs and the ecosystem in which they lived. A vivid diorama, inhabited by dinosaurs, insects, plants, and fish, will introduce such topics as the process of fossilization, feathered but flightless dinosaurs, and the origin of flowering plants.

What happened 65 million years ago that caused the extinction of over half of living plants and animals? The dominant theory of a massive meteor impact is being challenged by current research suggesting that the story is more complicated. Three competing theories may combine to explain the mass extinction: volcanism, a massive meteorite impact, and temperature and extreme climate changes.