After an exhaustive national search, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science has named veteran nonprofit leader Katherine Stenesen as its Chief Development Officer. Stenesen joins the Perot Museum after working since 2012 for the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (UWMD), where she most recently served as Chief Development Officer. She will assume her duties Jan. 13.

Press Release (pdf)

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 Updated with a host of new interactives, the newly transformed Texas Instruments Engineering and Innovation Hall gives guests a chance to tackle challenges in a 1,400-square-foot lab, compose music on a giant sequencer, program robots and plenty more fun activities for the tinkerer at heart. Plus, don’t miss the once-in-a lifetime Origins exhibition, a Chinese mineral exhibit, and more. 

News Release (pdf)

The newly updated 4,500-square-foot-space marks the Museum’s latest hall to undergo renovations in its continued commitment to inspire the future STEM workforce through fresh and innovative content. Highlights include a new ChallENGe Lab, mechanical art, hands-on robot stations, giant music sequencer and a floor-to-ceiling wind tube experience.

News Release (pdf) 

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Perot Museum Chief Curator and Vice President of Research and Collections Dr. Anthony R. Fiorillo’s recent research paper published in the globally renowned PLOS ONE journal shows that wealth of animals preferred humid, coastal environments – even dinosaurs enjoyed a day at the beach.

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Photo credit ©Karen Carr

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) and the National Geographic Society, proudly announces that tickets for the limited-run exhibition – Origins: Fossils from the Cradle of Humankind – are now available for purchase online at origins.perotmuseum.org. The exhibition, which runs Oct. 19, 2019 through March 22, 2020, will feature the fossils of two recently discovered ancient human relatives, Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi.

News release (pdf) 

Photos and Biographies

The Perot Museum is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of T. Boone Pickens. Mr. Pickens was a great friend and generous donor to the Perot Museum. His great intellect, innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking was an inspiration to so many. We will forever remember him and are honored to have our T. Boone Pickens Life Then and Now Hall to serve as a part of his lasting legacy and testament to how he wished to share his love for geology and passion for education with all of North Texas and beyond.

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is proud to announce that Dr. Becca Peixotto, archaeologist and director of Perot Museum’s Center for the Exploration of the Human Journey, and Myria Perez, paleontologist and assistant fossil preparator in the Perot Museum Paleo Lab, have been selected as AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) IF/THEN® Ambassadors. IF/THEN®, a national initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, seeks to further women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers.

News Release (pdf) 

Headshots

Two traveling exhibitions – Origins: Fossils from the Cradle of Humankind and The Science Behind Pixar – headline the season, alongside National Geographic Live speakers, Social Science adult-only nights, 3D films, A Day in the Life career exploration, Discovery Camps and more.

News release (pdf) 

Origins Photos
Pixar Photos
Photos

What is considered the best preserved and most complete large dinosaur skeleton from Japan has been identified as a new genus and species named Kamuysaurus japonicus. Found near Hokkaido, Japan, the discovery reinforces the idea of a land bridge connection between Asia and North America during the day of the dinosaur.  

News release (pdf)

Back for its second year, Dino Fest, a paleontological party and celebration of all things dinosaur, will return to the Perot Museum of Nature and Science Aug. 31-Sept. 1. All five levels of the Museum will be teeming with dinosaur activities including hands-on fossil digs, music and treats on the plaza, trivia, live interactions with birds of prey (aka modern-day dinosaurs), workshops, lectures, art activities and more. Dino Fest is free for members and included with general admission for non-members.  

News release (pdf)

2019 Photos and Video

Sizzle Reel from the Inaugural Dino Fest (2018)

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science, in partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) and the National Geographic Society, proudly announces fossils of two recently discovered ancient human relatives (Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi) will come to the U.S. from South Africa this fall for the first, and likely only, time to be featured in the limited-run exhibition – Origins: Fossils from the Cradle of Humankind. 

News release (pdf)

Photos and Biographies

Helpful Links

• Scientific Articles Published in eLife (2015)
• National Geographic’s ‘Being Human’ describing the H. naledi discovery (2015)
• University of Witwatersrand and Perot Museum’s Partnership Announcement News Release (2018)
• Perot Museum Partnership Announcement with Lee Berger News Release (2018)
• ‘The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is talking about evolution, and that’s actually unusual’ | Dallas Morning News (2018)
  
• Dinaledi Virtual Reality Experience News Release (2018)
• More Information on the Dinaledi Virtual Reality Experience
• Quick comparison of Au. sediba and H. naledi 
• *Just Added* | VIDEO – Origins Sizzle Reel
• *Just Added* | VIDEO –  Evolution 101: Braided Stream

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We at the Perot Museum mourn the passing of Ross Perot, a Texas giant, just as we celebrate his life among us. Mr. Perot enlivened the Museum with his generous and caring spirit and served as an example of kindness, compassion, and innovation. His legacy as leader, independent thinker, technological trailblazer and American patriot will endure and continue to serve as inspiration in fulfilling our mission.  Our heartfelt thoughts are with the entire Perot family at this time.

We have plans to more fully honor his memory and dedication to this community, which we will share at a later time.

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Op-Ed by Perot Museum CEO Dr. Linda Silver inThe Hill 
“Ross Perot’s philanthropic legacy: Inspiring next generation of engineers”

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A new species of prehistoric crocodilian ancestor (that existed in what is now North Texas, but 96 million years ago) has been named Scolomastax sahlsteini after Arthur Sahlstein, a volunteer citizen scientist that assisted in its discovery at the Arlington Archosaur Site. The “little nipper,” which was 3-6 feet long, lived in the last period of the Age of Dinosaurs, and co-existed with several other species of crocodyliform (extinct crocodile relative) as well as newly discovered species of dinosaurs, mammals, plants, fish and more. Due to its “weird” jaw, scientists studying its fossils believe the extinct reptile may have been an omnivore feasting on hard prey and plant life, which would differ greatly from any of its modern obligate-carnivorous ancestors alive today. The fossils of S. sahlsteini are now part of the permanent collection of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.   

News Release (pdf)

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The Natural Resource Achievement Award recognizes excellence in research, management, or education related to the natural resource of parks, reserves and other protected areas. Dr. Fiorillo is among eight winners of outstanding achievements in conservation of special places.

News Release (pdf) 

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Don your favorite sci-fi gear and travel to a “galaxy far, far away” as the Perot Museum of Nature and Science celebrates the power of the Force with a two-day May The Fourth Be With You weekend extravaganza May 4-5. Connect with the light and dark sides of the Force while enjoying special sci-fi activities, saber battles on the Plaza, droid races, augmented reality, performances, character meet-ups, Star Wars-themed music, food and more. Discover the science behind the famous films by exploring robotics, futuristic technology and life on other planets.

Photos and Video

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A small, birdlike dinosaur, whose remains make up the largest trove of dinosaurs ever discovered in Texas, has officially been named Convolosaurus marri after SMU alumnus and patron Ray Marr. The specimen, whose new name translates to “flocking lizard,” was discovered at Proctor Lake (southwest of Fort Worth) in 1985 and  is currently on display in the Perot Museum’s Life Then and Now Hall. Photo credit The Dallas Morning News.

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The Perot Museum of Nature and Science’s “Roxy the Raptor” kicked off Dino Day during the Texas Ranger’s first home game series at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Photo credit MLB.com.

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Paleontologists from Hokkaido University in Japan, in cooperation with paleontologists from the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas, have discovered the first-confirmed occurrence of a lambeosaurine (crested ‘duck-billed’ dinosaur) from the Arctic – part of the skull of a lambeosaurine dinosaur from the Liscomb Bonebed (71-68 Ma) found on Alaska’s North Slope. The bonebed was previously known to be rich in hadrosaurine hadrosaurids (non-crested ‘duck-billed’ dinosaurs).

News Release (pdf)

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The Perot Museum of Nature and Science has announced that it will partner with IF/THEN, a first-of-its-kind initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies supporting women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). IF/THEN, built on the mantra that “if we support a woman in STEM, then she can change the world,” seeks to advance women in STEM by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of female pioneers.

News Release (pdf) 

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Perot Museum’s Chief Curator and Vice President of Research and Collections, Anthony Fiorillo, Ph.D., has co-authored a new paper as part of a dynamic research collaboration with international scientists. The paper notes the discovery of what has been named the northernmost marsupial known to science—a mouse-sized, opossum-like creature, the Unnuakomys hutchisoni, discovered in a steep river bank in Arctic Alaska.

University of Colorado Release

3D Video of the Perot’s Type Specimen*
* Type specimen means this will be the specimen by which all future comparisons of the Unnuakomys hutchisoni will be made. 

Named by CNN as a must-see exhibition, The Art of The Brick makes its Texas debut featuring LEGO^® brick renditions of famous masterpieces – including Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Michelangelo’s David along with a 20-foot T. rex skeleton and Dallas’ iconic Pegasus – plus, The Science of the Brick interactive creative space invites guests to let their imaginations run free.

News Release (pdf)

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After months of intense preparation, nearly 600 North Texas youth competed in the North Texas FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) Regional Championship Robotics Tournament held Feb. 9 at Parish Episcopal School and Community Center. The Perot Museum is proud to sponsor this annual competition that challenges students to create robots designed to solve real-world problems. Winning the 1st place Champion’s Award was the “Saturn V Girls” team, with students from The Hockaday School in Dallas, who will advance to the World Festival in Houston April 17-20.

News Release (pdf)

Photos

The work of art, comprised of 240 colored diamonds (including some that fluoresce) take on the shape of a butterfly, symbolizing “spiritual connection to Earth for all humankind,” according to owner, curator and co-creator Alan Bronstein. With colors ranging from fiery orange to tranquil blue and rosy pink, the “Aurora Butterfly of Peace” took 12 years to complete and features of a rainbow of diamonds from nearly every continent on Earth.

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The popular Gems and Minerals Hall reopens with four signature displays – including a stunning birthstone exhibit – plus the new Gems and Minerals Center of Excellence aims to
elevate interest in gems and minerals while positioning the Perot Museum as a global leader in gems and minerals education.

News Release (pdf)

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