Discovery Museum offers look at 'Prehistoric Lake County'

For years the exhibit manager at the Lake County Discovery Museum wanted to do an exhibit on the area's prehistoric life. But the story was missing a key component: dinosaurs. The area had plenty of fossils from when it was at the bottom of a shallow ancient sea and when wooly mammoths roamed the frosty tundra, but records of dinosaurs had never been found.

After contacting a paleontologist, they discovered the reason for the gap in the fossil record. During the Ice Age Illinois was covered in glaciers, which destroyed all evidence of more than 150 million years of life. But by piecing together migratory patterns and fossils from nearby states, dinosaurs are back in town as part of the museum's "Prehistoric Lake County" exhibit, which runs through Aug. 30.

Divided into three parts, visitors start by exploring the Silurian Period. From 446 million to 416 million years ago, Lake County was home to ancient relatives of sea urchins, which clung to the ocean floor, and tiny trilobites which are related to modern insects and spiders. Interactive elements let visitors examine trilobites' large eyes under a microscope and watch how fossils are formed from dead aquatic creatures.

Moving through history, guests step into the Mesozoic Era, which ended 65 million years ago. Displays include a fossilized skeleton of coelophysis, one of the first known dinosaurs, that shows off the creature's sharp teeth and claws. The museum also commissioned a paleo-artist, who re-created the head of one of the dinosaurs believed to have lived in the area. The sculpture of the two-legged dinosaur, which was believed to be a scavenger, is complete with battle scars and a crest of proto-feathers. Along with teaching how dinosaurs evolved, displays also discuss how scientific understanding of the creatures has changed over the years.

The third room shows off Ice Age creatures and includes both real fossils protected by glass and massive casts that you can touch. You can feel a rock that was laced with lines by the passing of glaciers, compare the teeth and tusks of mastodons and mammoths, and view the claws of an enormous sloth. The exhibit also highlights some lesser-known enormous mammals, including dire wolves and American lions. Both creatures are similar to their surviving relatives, but were significantly larger and very fierce predators.

If looking at all the fossils sparks some archaeological dreams, the exhibit features a series of three dig pits. Each one represents a different geological period and kids can use sifters and brushes to dig up shark teeth, petrified wood and shells, and examine their finds under a magnifying lens. Each visitor is allowed to keep one item from the dig pit, so staff members are constantly refilling the popular attraction. After walking around you can settle down to watch a brief animated film, which summarizes much of the information in the exhibit. Prehistoric-mania has also swept into the learning gallery, where young kids can play with dolls of Ice Age creatures.

Lake County Discovery Museum

Location: 27277 N. Forest Preserve Road, Wauconda

Phone: (847) 968-3400

Web: www.LakeCountyDiscoveryMuseum.org

Hours: 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday

Prices: $6; $2.50 for kids ages 4 to 17; free for kids under 4. Tuesdays adults are $3 and kids are free.