What i̶s̶ are s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶m̶e̶n̶ body coverings?A specimen is an p̶i̶e̶c̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶n̶a̶t̶u̶r̶a̶l̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶ animal’s external clothing. It can be a̶ ̶f̶e̶r̶n̶ fur or a̶ ̶b̶a̶t̶ feathers, a̶ ̶f̶o̶s̶s̶i̶l̶ skin or a̶ ̶m̶e̶t̶e̶o̶r̶i̶t̶e̶ scales--anything that s̶a̶m̶p̶l̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ protects or adorns an animal’s body. Each o̶n̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶l̶l̶e̶c̶t̶ body covering w̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶e̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶,̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶r̶n̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶g̶e̶n̶e̶r̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ serves a purpose, protecting an animal from injury, keeping them warm, or communicating to members of their community. Together, o̶u̶r̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶m̶e̶n̶s̶ body coverings tell the story of an l̶i̶f̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶E̶a̶r̶t̶h̶ animal’s evolution--it’s past, present, and changing future.
S̶k̶i̶n̶ Clothes and s̶c̶a̶l̶e̶s̶ hairT̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶H̶a̶r̶p̶y̶ ̶E̶a̶g̶l̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶d̶y̶ ̶s̶k̶i̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶c̶l̶u̶d̶e̶s̶ In this section, get to know the important exterior parts of The Mels, such as f̶e̶a̶t̶h̶e̶r̶s̶ clothing and i̶t̶s̶ ̶m̶a̶s̶s̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶o̶n̶s̶ hair. These body coverings evolve as a Mel evolves. H̶o̶w̶e̶v̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶ ̶t̶u̶f̶t̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶c̶o̶t̶t̶o̶n̶ ̶p̶e̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶y̶e̶s̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶They can be studied to reveal how the internal p̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ ̶self-identity of t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶i̶r̶d̶ ̶a Mel have ̶b̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶r̶e̶m̶o̶v̶e̶d̶ changed or stayed the same. Som̶e̶ o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ while the Mel-body is preserved separately through the birth and death of each Mel, T̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶d̶y̶ ̶s̶k̶i̶n̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶f̶f̶e̶d̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶c̶o̶t̶t̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶preserving its general shape, body coverings adapt with each self-evolution. 1
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Learn about the body coverings of The Mels. |
Exhibition highlights:
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Step into a Mel's world.Enter a̶ ̶L̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶C̶r̶e̶t̶a̶c̶e̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶e̶s̶t̶ into this exhibit and come face-to-face with one of the world’s m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶o̶r̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶d̶a̶t̶o̶r̶s̶ first species capable of self-evolution. A̶l̶o̶n̶g̶s̶i̶d̶e̶ On S̶U̶E̶’̶s̶ ̶s̶k̶e̶l̶e̶t̶o̶n̶ busts of each Mel, find f̶o̶s̶s̶i̶l̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶c̶r̶e̶a̶t̶u̶r̶e̶s̶ models of the hairstyles that each of The Mels l̶i̶v̶e̶d̶ adapted a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ during her life, including T̶r̶i̶c̶e̶r̶a̶t̶o̶p̶s̶ layered, small m̶a̶m̶m̶a̶l̶s̶ pixies, and f̶i̶s̶h̶ asymmetrical cuts. See T̶.̶ ̶r̶e̶x̶ The Mels in motion through a̶ ̶m̶e̶d̶i̶a̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶e̶r̶i̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ pinned specimen boxes that recreates̶ S̶o̶u̶t̶h̶ ̶D̶a̶k̶o̶t̶a̶ The Mels' body coverings over 6̶7̶ m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶ 35 years a̶g̶o̶. T̶h̶e̶n̶,̶ Use s̶e̶n̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ each specimen to experience how t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶i̶n̶o̶s̶a̶u̶r̶ ̶s̶o̶u̶n̶d̶e̶d̶ The Mels' clothing evolved in pace with their identity, how i̶t̶s̶ ̶s̶k̶i̶n̶ ̶f̶e̶l̶t̶ their coloration adapted, and even how i̶t̶s̶ ̶b̶r̶e̶a̶t̶h̶ ̶s̶m̶e̶l̶l̶e̶d̶ their body positions and gestures changed. 2
Learn more about how we study The Mels > |
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Journey through time
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E̶a̶r̶t̶h̶’̶s̶ The Mels' self-evolution is about so much more than t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶x̶t̶i̶n̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ the death of t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶n̶o̶s̶a̶u̶r̶s̶ one Mel and o̶u̶r̶ ̶p̶r̶i̶m̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶c̶e̶s̶t̶o̶r̶s̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶r̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶w̶a̶l̶k̶ ̶u̶p̶r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ the birth of the next. Imagine o̶u̶r̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶n̶e̶t̶ The Mels in i̶t̶s̶ their earliest days when Melissa-Louise-Keiser was the living Mel: v̶o̶l̶c̶a̶n̶i̶c̶ ̶e̶r̶u̶p̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ heart-shaped sunglasses, pinafores, c̶r̶a̶s̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ m̶e̶t̶e̶o̶r̶i̶t̶e̶s̶ crushed velvet, and the f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶f̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶m̶s̶ Mel-body taking shape. Begin your journey through time and explore each p̶e̶r̶i̶o̶d̶ Mel o̶f̶ in o̶u̶r̶ The Mels' evolution, including t̶h̶e̶ ̶P̶r̶e̶c̶a̶m̶b̶r̶i̶a̶n̶ ̶e̶r̶a̶ Melissa-Louise-Keiser t̶h̶a̶t̶ who makes up 9̶0̶ 51 percent of The p̶l̶a̶n̶e̶t̶’̶s̶ The Mels' 4̶.̶5̶-̶b̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶ 35-year timeline.
As the self-evolutionary timeline inches toward the present, you’ll examine the most recently i̶c̶e̶ ̶a̶g̶e̶ deceased Mel (w̶e̶’̶r̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶l̶i̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶i̶t̶ died in late 2017) and check out some of the most well-preserved f̶o̶s̶s̶i̶l̶s̶ specimens of this period. You’ll also learn why so many of t̶̶̶o̶̶̶d̶̶̶a̶̶̶y̶̶̶’̶̶̶s̶̶̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶e̶s̶ The Mels' a̶r̶e̶ faced a̶ ̶m̶a̶s̶s̶ ̶e̶x̶t̶i̶n̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ death and t̶h̶e̶ ̶r̶o̶l̶e̶ how you can p̶l̶a̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶s̶u̶r̶v̶i̶v̶a̶l̶ identify each one regardless of the fact that they share the same body. 2 |
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Habitats
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Diets
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