Lecture – Crinoids – Drifting Ecosystems of Ancient Seas by David Temple
Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
During the Paleozoic, crinoids created a virtual forest on the sea floor and created an important ecosystem. These fossils are frequently referred to as “sea lilies.” However, crinoids are actually animals. Paleontologist David Temple will describe these fascinating sea creatures–from the earliest species dating to 460 million years ago to modern crinoids that have evolved to be more mobile.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017 – 6:30 PM
Tickets $18 for adults and children
Gems of the Sea: The Guido T. Poppe Collection
Closing August 1—Sea It Soon!
World class. One of a kind. Never before seen. Made by mollusks.
The Philippines consists of over 7,500 islands in Southeast Asia, totaling a land area of approximately 116,000 square miles, and giving the Philippines the longest coastlines of any nation in the world. The Philippine archipelago is known to possess some of the richest marine biodiversity in the world. Along with their unparalleled diversity among the species, marine mollusks from this area are of great interest to science for their peculiar interactions and adaptations in their marine environment.
BTS – HOP – Dinosaurs of the Jurassic
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Because the Morian Hall of Paleontology is too large to tour in one evening, we are bringing back this popular series that covers the hall section by section with James Washington–now expanded to 6 sessions. All sessions are Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m.
The Jurassic Period ushered in the “Golden Age of Giants,” the time of 100-foot-long diplodocuses and stegosaurs who were skilled swordsmen. Predatory dinos clothed themselves with feathers. Giant sea reptiles cruised the oceans, while winged dactyls hunted for squid.
Wednesday, August 02, 2017 – 6:00 PM
Tickets $25, Members $15 per session.
Purchase entire 6-session package by July 5 to receive discount pricing: Nonmembers $130, Members $7
BTS – Mapping Texas: From Frontier to the Lone Star State
Map of Texas, 1718. Author: Guillaume de L’Isle. Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Featuring maps dating from 1513 to 1920, the special exhibition traces more than 400 years of Texas history. Through this unique presentation of cartographic history, visitors can visualize how the fourth largest city in the US, Houston, and the third most populous county in the US, Harris County, grew into an economic powerhouse because of the Houston Ship Channel and the growth of railroads in the region. The works in this exhibition are mainly from the archival collection of the Texas General Land Office and Houston map collectors Frank and Carol Holcomb. Additionally, there are items on loan from the Witte Museum in San Antonio and the Bryan Museum in Galveston.
Go behind-the-scenes with a master docent to see the formation of Texas, from an unnamed frontier in the New World, to a small outpost of New Spain, to the huge, bustling state that now leads the nation.
Tuesday, August 01, 2017 – 6:00 PM
Members $15, Tickets $27