More than a century ago, a Connecticut materials company was digging for building stone in a brownstone quarry near Manchester when they came across a startling discovery: the skeleton of a dinosaur. But the anchisaurus, a small, lizard-like dino from the early Jurassic Period, was just the first in a long line of specimens discovered in the state.
“No one thinks about Connecticut as a place for the discovery of skeletal material, but so much has been unearthed here,” said David Heiser, head of public education and outreach at Peabody Museum. “There have been many important findings.”
Fairfield County residents will have the chance to touch and observe a plethora of skeletal remains from Connecticut and beyond when the Peabody Museum and the Bruce Museum in Greenwich host events in celebration of National Fossil Day.
Beginning at 10 a.m., the Peabody will present activities for young children, including puppet shows featuring Roxi Fox and a cast of prehistoric creatures. At 2:30 p.m., the anchisaurus will be on display, along with vertebrate fossils recently collected from federal lands in the American West by research teams from the Yale Peabody Museum’s Division of Vertebrate Paleontology. An extensive fossil touch table will be on view throughout the day.
“For all those young paleontologists, it will be a rare opportunity to see the most complete dinosaur skeleton ever discovered in Connecticut,” Heiser said.
Meanwhile, the Bruce Museum will host Family Fossil Fun Night!, featuring an exploratory gallery hunt for fossils (dinosaur toys will be awarded for those who complete the challenge) and hands-on fossil casting in the museum’s Education Workshop. The event will be held in conjunction with “Evolution of the Natural World: Highlights of the Bruce Museum Collection,” an exhibition of minerals and fossils on view through Oct. 17.
“We have a fossilized lobster, hawk head, typical dinosaur fossils, trilobites — all the really early creatures that climbed out of primordial ooze,” said Robin Garr, director of education at the Bruce Museum.
Also included are an ostrich skeleton and ammonite fossils, ancient meteorites, glistening pyrite and a winged ant enclosed in amber.
Established in partnership with the National Park Service and the American Geological Institute, National Fossil Day aims to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, and foster a greater appreciation of fossils’ scientific and educational value.
Heiser said that although fossils are often viewed as “antiquated research, and not cutting edge,” they are intriguing subjects.
Each summer since 2002, Peabody research staff have made expeditions to North Dakota, Montana, Arizona and Utah and never come back empty-handed, Heiser said. Fossils in Connecticut keep turning up as well.
“The more we find, the more we realize there is still so much to learn about the history of the Earth,” he added. “Fossils tell so many stories.”