The Beginning of Animalia

This exhibition offers a World First with respect to the material on display and promotes the unique nature of the flora and fauna, from its beginnings until the development of skeletons – thus looking at the precursors of modern groups, in particular - animals.

The exhibition uses a time line context which illuminates major changes that have occurred in Earth’s history from its very beginnings until the beginning of the Cambrian, a time when the first skeletons appeared and the fossil record, somewhat artificially, explodes with biodiversity – the simple fact is that skeletons preserve and organisms with only soft parts have left a very incomplete record when no skeletons were to be had – most of Precambrian time prior to 542 million years ago.  

Soft bodied organisms which haunted the seas in this time called the “Precambrian”, were the beginnings of many celled biodiversity on Planet Earth and early experiments, some of which led to today’s living animals.  This exhibition highlights the research of some of the world’s leading palaeobiologists, stratigraphers, geochemists, amongst others.

Size

Approximately 400m², but can be arranged to fit into a smaller or larger space.

Components

• More than 240 specimens of original fossils and casts and geological material from Australia, Russia, Namibia, Greenland and North America.
• 50 information panels (Full colour 500mm wide x 1000mm high)
• Art works of Peter Trusler and other artists- including original paintings, quilts and block prints depicting palaeoenvironment.
• Framed postage stamps that were derived from the polar dinosaur material from Australia Post and other countries.
• Models of some Precambrian animals.
• Animation of reconstructed fossil animals, and DVD’s of major field areas and the origin of the Universe and planet Earth.

Exhibition-related Products

• Specially designed Ediacaran Jewelry by artist Rob Fensham, Australia
• Prints by artist Peter Trusler
• Music of the Ediacarans by Shin Kabota
• “The Beginning of Animalia”, John Hopkins Press (Fedonkin, Vickers-Rich, Gehling, Grey and Narbonne) to be published in 2007
• Assistance with development of catalogue and further teaching materials
• Casts of fossils in the exhibition

Installation/ Costs

The costs to host this exhibition are negotiable upon application.

The installation fee for the exhibition includes two technicians to install and deinstall the exhibition at  your venue. Separate room accommodation for the at setup and pulldown to be provided by venue. We will train your floor staff in the use of our educational material, as well as familiarise them with the exhibition.

With prior arrangement the Director of the exhibition (Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich, who is a palaeontologist carrying out work in Australia, Namibia and Russia) can be available to present a large public lecture, if useful as a fundraiser for your venue, and to offer teacher inservice sessions, if this will assist in supporting your schools programs.

Mawsonites

This exhibition has been generously supported by:
Qantas Freight
Blunstone
IGCP 493 UNESCO
Paleontological Institute, Russia
South Australia Museum
Western Australian Museum
Geological Survey of Namibia
NHK Broadcasting (Japan)