A new adventure film about the prehistoric world of pterosaurs, Flying Monsters is now open at the Museum of Nature & Science TI Founders IMAX® Theater (1318 S. 2nd Ave. in Fair Park). With a wingspan stretching up to 45 feet, pterosaurs were flying vertebrates that could grow to be the size of small jet airplanes and ruled the skies when dinosaurs roamed the Earth millions of years ago. The story of how and why these enigmatic creatures took to the air is more fantastical than any fiction – and one of the greatest mysteries in paleontology. Produced by Anthony Geffen and narrated by veteran filmmaker and renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough, Flying Monsters is told through a series of stunning environments, including Big Bend National Park in Texas, Lyme Regis in the United Kingdom, and China’s remote Liaoning Province. Flying Monsters debuted March 1 and will run through September 16, 2012. The film is 40 minutes and appropriate for all ages.
“Pterosaurs at first appearance are a most unlikely looking group of animals,” said Dr. Tony Fiorillo, Curator of Earth Sciences at the Museum of Nature & Science. “But we now know that they were well adapted, highly successful and lived around the globe almost pole to pole.”
How did lizards the size of giraffes defy gravity and soar through prehistoric skies? Driven by information he finds while attempting to answer these questions, Attenborough starts to unravel one of science's more enduring mysteries, discovering that the marvel of pterosaur flight has evolutionary echoes that resonate even today. From discovering pterosaur embryos that show they might have flown from birth to figuring out how a creature of that size could possibly fly, Flying Monsters resolves mysteries that have intrigued scientists for more than two centuries.
Flying Monsters is from award-winning Atlantic Productions and distributed by National Geographic Entertainment. It is supported locally by Time Warner Cable, the 2012 Season Sponsor for the Museum of Nature & Science.
Tickets for Flying Monsters are $7.50 for adults 18-61 (member adults $6), and $6.50 for seniors 62+, students 12-17 and children 2-11 (member seniors, students and children $5). Children under 2 are free.
The money-saving Twin Fin Package, which includes admission to any IMAX® film plus the Planet Shark: Predator or Prey exhibition, is $24 for adults 18-61, $18 for children 2-11, $22 for students 12-17 and seniors 62+, and $10 for members of all ages. Advance tickets allow visitors to skip lobby lines, plus there is no longer a convenience fee for MNS tickets purchased online. Show times and online tickets are available by clicking here.
For more information, go to natureandscience.org.