A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton the length of a city bus is among the highlights of a blockbuster dinosaur exhibition making its North American debut at the Bruce Museum. On view June 6Sept. 6, “Six Extinctions” is a dramatic, immersive exhibition that explores the mass extinctions that have repeatedly reshaped life on Earth.
Spanning nearly half a billion years of Earth’s history, the exhibition combines fossil skeleton and skull casts, realistic models of extinct animals and large-scale murals depicting prehistoric life. Together, these elements create an immersive experience that deepens understanding of how extinctions occur, how life adapts and what is at stake in today’s biodiversity crisis.
“Dinosaurs captivate us because they stretch our sense of scale and time, and ‘Six Extinctions’ taps into that fascination,” said Mary-Kate O’Hare, Ph.D., the Susan E. Lynch Executive Director & CEO of the Bruce Museum. “This exhibition builds on the Bruce’s commitment to ignite curiosity and invites visitors of all ages to explore Earth’s past, our present moment and the choices that will shape the future.”
Extinction is a natural part of life on Earth, and “Six Extinctions” brings that reality vividly to life, combining cutting-edge scientific research with cinematic design. Scientists estimate that more than 99% of all species that have ever lived are now extinct, and the exhibition invites visitors to encounter some of these extraordinary and unfamiliar creatures.
“Dinosaurs are icons of extinction, but they are only one of many groups that evolved, flourished and died out. ‘Six Extinctions’ will open visitors’ eyes to many other remarkable species that vanished in Earth’s catastrophic mass extinctions, ranging from surfboard-sized relatives of millipedes to 10-foot-tall thunder birds,” said Daniel Ksepka, Ph.D., curator of science at the Bruce Museum.
Beginning with the Ordovician and Devonian mass extinctions that devastated marine life, the exhibition introduces giant squidlike ammonites and ferocious armored fish. Visitors then explore the Permian mass extinction, the most catastrophic of all, which nearly ended life on Earth, followed by the Triassic mass extinction, when massive volcanic activity eliminated countless species and set the stage for the rise of dinosaurs.
The exhibition then presents a faceto-face encounter with a T. rex and Torosaurus, iconic casualties of the asteroid impact that ended the Cretaceous Period. This mass extinction wiped out non-avian dinosaurs and paved the way for mammals, including humans, to thrive. In a striking final turn, “Six Extinctions” brings the story into the present, introducing the current turning point within the Anthropocene, an informal term used to describe the current epoch shaped by human activity. This section highlights today’s unprecedented biodiversity crisis through life-like models of recently lost animals such as the Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine.
“Six Extinctions” is organized by Gondwana Studios. The presentation is curated by Daniel Ksepka, Ph.D. Major support for “Six Extinctions” is provided by Bank of America and the Charles M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund.
See more in next week’s ART SECTION.
