Dinosaur fans should make sure to get to Zion National Park this summer to check out a brand new temporary exhibit on the End Triassic Extinction at the Zion Human History Museum, covering a period that took place 227-180 million years ago.
The exhibit takes visitors through the late Triassic period, the End Triassic Extinction, and the early Jurassic period while following the science that made up the research. The exhibit covers the rapid climate change that caused the extinction and how it affected animals and the landscape around the world.
The exhibit was built off information gathered as part of a seven-year research project led by Dr. Celina Suarez, a geoscience professor at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Suarez and her team were able to pinpoint an influx of volcanic eruptions over 200 million years ago that caused the splitting of the Pangea supercontinent by identifying a spike in CO2 levels in Zion’s Moenave Formation.
The team also found evidence that the same spike in CO2 levels led to the wildfires and intense weather patterns that eventually caused the End Triassic Extinction, which wiped out approximately 80% of all marine and terrestrial species on the planet.
“We’ve got to look at the geologic past and all these past events to understand where we’re going in the future. If we can just get one or two people that come and visit Zion to understand that…I’ve done my job.” – Dr. Suarez
The exhibit was created in collaboration between scientists, artists, and partners including Zion Forever Project, St. George Dinosaur Discovery Museum, the Utah Geological Survey, and the National Science Foundation. Visitors will be able to see the exhibit from 9am to 6pm at the Zion Human History throughout the summer.
