Smithsonian Unveils Evotourism (TM) Website For People Interested In Our Evolutionary Past


Ever heard of Evotourism? No? That’s because the Smithsonian Institution just made it up.

This month’s issue of Smithsonian magazine is all about Evotourism, which they’ve decided to trademark so we all have to put that pesky trademark symbol after it. Not a user-friendly way to coin a new term.

As their new dedicated site says, Evotourism is the “Smithsonian’s new travel-information service that will help you find and fully enjoy the wonders of evolution. Whether it’s a city museum or suburban fossil trove, a historic scientific site overseas or a rare creature in your own backyard, we’ll direct you to places and discoveries that figure in the science of evolution or offer eye-opening evidence of the process of natural selection.”

The site lists a variety of places to learn about the evolution of life on our planet, from Dinosaur National Monument in Utah, where you and your family can pose for photos in front of a dinosaur still encased in rock, to Darwin’s home just outside London. Each destination is given a detailed treatment with an accompanying article.

There are also some general articles on subjects such as the life and work of Charles Darwin. One important piece is an interview with Christián Samper, former director of Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History that clears up many of the misconceptions about evolution, such as the common misperception that belief in evolution and belief in God is an either/or proposition.

The site is organized by theme, so if you have kids in tow or are a photographer, you’ll be directed to the sites that are best for you.

It’s a good list to start with, but of course there are many more sites to visit and the folks at the Smithsonian will be adding to it. They were modest enough not to include their own Natural History Museum in Washington, DC, surely one of the best Evotourism destinations anywhere. I’d also suggest the Science Museum in London, the Natural History Museum in New York City, and the Natural History Museum in Oxford, England.

For adventure travelers who want to get to the source, there’s the National Museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which has Lucy, the famous 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis, and a display of skulls from the earliest human ancestors to modern humans in chronological order to show how primate-like traits gradually gave way to a more human appearance. Other rooms show the evolution of other animals.

What other Evotourism destinations would you recommend? Tell us in the comments section!

[Photo courtesy Flickr user InSapphoWeTrust]

Ultimate Dinosaurs Exhibit In Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto


We all know about the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Triceratops, but what about the Gigantosaurus, pictured above, or the Amargasaurus? These are just a couple of the little-known dinosaurs highlighted at a new exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada.

“Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana
” looks at recently discovered dinosaur species from South America, Africa and Madagascar, some of which have never before been displayed in Canada. Not content with simply assembling the skeletons and putting them on a pedestal, the curators have painted the walls with richly detailed murals and have also created Augmented Reality experiences where visitors can interact with the displays to learn more. You can even flesh out a dinosaur skeleton to see how paleontologists recreate these fearsome beasts from the bones they find.

The exhibit looks at how continental drift affected the dinosaur evolution during the Mesozoic Era 250–65 million years ago. At the start of this period there was one giant land mass called Pangaea. This later divided into Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south, which in turn separated into the continents we’re familiar with. This increasing isolation led to dinosaur species evolving separately.

Some of these unusual dinosaurs will surprise you. The long-necked Futalognkosaurus was one of the biggest animals to have ever walked the earth, measuring 110 feet long and weighing as much as 10 elephants. Suchomimus had a face like a crocodile and the Majungasaurus appears to have been a cannibal. Majungasaurus bite marks have been found on the bones of other Majungasaurs.

Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana” runs until March 17, 2013.

SkyMall Monday: T-Rex Dinosaur Trophy Frieze

I don’t know much about hunting (and what I do know I learned from Zach Everson) but I’ve always wanted an animal trophy on my wall. However, I don’t want to kill something just for sport (unless it’s the most dangerous game) and finding an animal that I can track, kill and eat near the SkyMall Monday New York City headquarters is tough (the Parks Department frowns on the use of rifles in Central Park). So, what’s a man with a healthy bloodlust and empty wall space to do? Well, if SkyMall has anything to say about it, we’ll all decorate our walls with a suitable kill while also not removing a single creature from a delicate ecosystem. Rather than covering yourself in deer urine and spending your day in the trees, simply pick up our favorite catalog and order yourself the T-Rex Dinosaur Trophy Frieze.

Since dinosaurs have long been extinct (or living in the Land of the Lost), this T-Rex is clearly not real. However, it displays that you have the ability to take down a beast much greater than you, which will give your guests pause when they consider stealing something from your home or seducing your daughter. As such, it’s a handsome home decoration and an advertisement for your masculinity.

Think that you should only display trophies that you actually killed? Believe that showing off any kill – even fictitious ones – is crude? Well, while you select a puppy statue, we’ll be reading the product description:

Our…wall trophy celebrates one of history’s largest known land predators, the fabled T-Rex! This amazingly detailed sculpture releases nearly a foot-and-a-half from the wall to boast details cast in quality designer resin and hand-painted with realistic color and texture. Mount our prehistoric, treasured artifact on home or garden wall for Jurassic-sized impact in your own museum!

Now all you need is a garden, a garden wall (which is what, exactly?) and your own museum. Seems reasonable.

So leave your orange hunting vest and animal calls at home. There’s no need for bloodshed when you’re decorating your home (unless you’re reckless with the power drill). Sit back, relax and enjoy having an extinct animal follow you with its eyes.

Check out all of the previous “SkyMall Monday” posts HERE.

SkyMall Monday: Mombasa the Garden Giraffe vs. Boris the Bronotosaurus

Here at SkyMall Monday, we love lawn ornaments. By now, you should know about our affinity for the Garden Yeti, his baking abilities and incredibly high threshold for pain. This week, however, we take a look at the two biggest beasts offered up in SkyMall. Rather than litter your lawn an army of tiny Garden Gnomes, it’s time that you allowed your yard to be dominated with a true giant. So, this week, it’s Mombasa the Garden Giraffe vs. Boris the Brontosaurus.

Let’s take a look at how these two fearsome competitors stack up.


In a close battle that I wish we could see actually play itself out in a suburban backyard, Boris the Brontosaurus edges out Mombasa the Garden Giraffe the win the title of Best Massive SkyMall Lawn Ornament. However, that’s just our scientific opinion. We want to know which garden monster you prefer.

Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Check out all of the previous SkyMall Monday posts HERE.

Museum Junkie: London’s Science Museum turns 100

London’s Science Museum turns 100 this year, and as part of the centeniary celebrations they’re asking for your input on the world’s most important invention.

Their list comes from ten important inventions they have in their museum, like the first x-ray machine developed in 1895, or the Model T Ford that first came off the production line in 1908, or the V2 rocket pictured here, first launched against London by the Nazis in 1944.

Personally. I’d vote for something the techies at the museum didn’t think of–agriculture. Yeah, that was a while ago, but agriculture provided a surplus that allowed some people to do things other than gather food, such as invent all this other stuff. No agriculture, no complex civilization, no technology, and no Gadling. Now there’s a scary thought.

The Science Museum has a massive collection of machines, devices, and widgets for every conceivable purpose. There are a lot of interactive displays, including a mockup of a Japanese supermarket where you can experience an earthquake. It’s one of the best places to take kids in London, along with the Natural History Museum with its weird deep sea fish and animatronic T-Rex. If you want to waste some time at work, take their “What dinosaur are you?” quiz. Apparantly I’m a Baryonyx.

With all this talk about inventions, what about travel? What are the most important inventions for people on the road? The backpack? The airplane? The Internet? Passports? What’s your vote for the most important invention for travelers?