Press release

30 June 2006 - 15 April 2007

What did dinosaurs eat - and how do we know? Find out this summer at the Natural History Museum's new family blockbuster exhibition, introducing you to the fascinating, and sometimes disgusting, subject of dinosaurs and their food.

Dino Jaws looks set to be one of London's top attractions this summer, particularly for families with children aged four and over. Bringing together intriguing fossil evidence, fun hands-on exhibits, scientific insights and the ten most lifelike and spectacular animatronics you have ever seen, it will reveal everything scientists now know about what and how dinosaurs ate.

'Everyone knows that T. rex was a meat-eater, but can you tell what Baryonyx ate, and have you seen the sinister evidence of what Coelophysis had for dinner?' said Dr Angela Milner, dinosaur expert at the Natural History Museum. 'You'll become a dino-detective and study dinosaur jaws, claws, guts and even poo, to discover what dinosaurs ate, using the same techniques that scientists use.'

Visitors will find themselves stepping millions of years back in time into a world populated by hungry dinosaurs. From slow-moving plant-eaters to fierce, agile flesh-eaters, these dinosaurs will demonstrate a variety of feeding strategies. Visitors will come face-to-face with the plant-eating Iguanodon and Euoplocephalus and the awesome Baryonyx as it tries to scoop a fish from the water. A large scene contains a pack of Velociraptors devouring the carcass of a Protoceratops with their grasping hands, climbing claws and teeth for ripping flesh. Hidden at the back of the gallery will be the deadly Coelophysis , which visitors with young children may choose to avoid. Fossil evidence suggests that this dinosaur ate the young of its own species. Those brave enough to look are invited to examine the evidence supporting this unusual feeding behaviour.

Dino Jaws also includes several inventive and fun interactive exhibits. A favourite is likely to be a huge steaming, stinking mound representing several week's worth of Euoplocephalus poo, which visitors can touch and examine to discover what this massive plant eater ate. They can also touch a real fossilised dinosaur poo, known as a coprolite.

As they become dinosaur detectives, visitors will tackle a virtual dig to unearth fossilised teeth, claws or stomach contents using specialist tools, and then identify them. The virtual dig will be based on the discovery of Baryonyx - a giant fish-eating dinosaur - found just outside London and excavated by a team including Natural History Museum scientists.

Visitors will swipe a barcode on their tickets at points throughout the exhibition to get diet-related clues to the identity of a mystery dinosaur. They can then access this information after their visit and continue their investigations at home.

Ends

Visitor information
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10.00-17.50, Sunday 11.00-17.50
Admission: £8, £5 concessions, free for children aged three and under, £21 family (up to five, minimum one adult, maximum two).
Booking (from 21 April 2006): www.nhm.ac.uk/dino-jaws or 0870 013 0731
Website: www.nhm.ac.uk/dino-jaws
Visitor enquiries: 020 7942 5000

Notes for editors

• Winner of the People's Choice Award for Best Family Experience, Visit London Awards 2005, the Natural History Museum is also a world-leading science research centre. Through its collections and scientific expertise, the Museum is helping to conserve the extraordinary richness and diversity of the natural world with groundbreaking projects in 68 countries. The Museum is committed to encouraging public engagement with science.
• The Natural History Museum is publishing three exciting new books to accompany Dino Jaws:
• The Natural History Museum Dinosaur! Sticker Book 2nd Edn, £3.99 in paperback,
  brings fun activities with 70 dinosaur stickers to 4-6 year olds.
• The Natural History Museum Book of Dinosaurs 3rd Edn, £14.99 in hardback, is an ideal introduction to dinosaurs for the older child or adult. Published in association with Carlton Books.
• Dino Dinners, £5.99 in paperback or £10.99 in hardback, and ideal for 4-7 year olds, explores who ate what. Published in association with Frances Lincoln Publishers.These books will be available through all good bookshops and websites.
  For further information on these titles please contact: Howard Trent, Natural History Museum Publishing Tel: 020 7942 5336 email: h.trent@nhm.ac.uk (not for publication)

For more information, please contact:
Tel: 020 7942 5654 email: press@nhm.ac.uk