The Akainacephalus in the “Animal Armor" exhibit at the Putnam Museum & Science Center -- September 20 through February 15.
Saturday, September 20, through Sunday, February 15
Putnam Museum & Science Center, 1717 West 12th Street, Davenport IA
Enabling visitors to explore the remarkable ways in which animals across 500 million years have adapted armor for survival, and how these adaptations continue to inspire human innovation, the traveling exhibition Animal Armor takes residence in Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center from September 20 through February 15, the fascinating exhibit exploring the evolutionary battle between protection and predation.
Animal Armor brings together a fascinating, eclectic mix of creatures all bound by their similar use of armor, while offering an exciting tour through the last 500 million years of armor evolution. The rise of armor in the animal kingdom is illustrated by dozens of pieces, including fantastic casts from recent dinosaur discoveries, giant insect sculptures, and bizarre ice age mammals. From primitive ocean dwellers to armor adaptation by ancient humans, Animal Armor brings the evolutionary story of armor full circle. Protection versus predation is a continuing competition that has driven evolution for millions of years. From fish and insects to reptiles and mammals, defensive necessity has resulted in the evolution of armor in almost all groups of animals. Over time, they developed armor patterns ranging from simple defensive plates to highly ornate spiny displays. Armor evolution has resulted in some of the most beautiful and bizarre forms in the animal kingdom.
Among the traveling exhibitions themed areas are: Invertebrates: The Earliest Armored Animals; Armored Fish: The First Armored Vertebrates; Turtles and Tortoises: Evolution of Armor and Defensive Strategies; The Rise of Armor on Land: Animals of the Permian and Triassic; Crocodilian Armor; Dinosaurs: Ankylosaurs, Prehistoric Panzers of the Mesozoic; Mammals with Shells: Glyptodonts, Armadillos, and Their Kin; Animal Fortresses: Defensive Strategies of Ancient and Modern Animals; and Human Armor: Human Adaptation of Animal Armor.
Gaston Design Inc. are the creators of the unique Animal Armor exhibition. the organization specializes in the restoration, molding, and casting of fossil skeletons, as well as gift-shop lines of smaller paleontological replicas (teeth, claws, skulls, etc.). In addition to cast replicas, Gaston Design offers museum services such as skeleton mounting, exhibit design and construction, and traveling exhibits. In expressing his excitement at being able to present this one-of-a-kind display, Robert Gaston, president and discoverer of the armored dinosaur Gastonia, states, “It is incredibly fascinating to see the common connections between creatures as diverse as insects and dinosaurs, and how humans have adopted those same defensive strategies.”
The touring exhibition Animal Armor will be on display at Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center from September 20 through February 15, and regular venue hours are Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit is free with general $10-12 admission, and more information is available by calling (563)324-1933 and visiting Putnam.org.
