Fossil exhibition to tour country

A major fossil exhibition is to tour New Zealand next year.

The collection will include fossils of dinosaurs, moa, marine reptiles and other sea creatures, insects, shells, plants, and even fossil vomit.

The multi-media exhibition on fossil hunting (past, present and future) is being developed by GNS Science, with sponsorship from Shell New Zealand.

Designed for audiences of all ages, it aims to tell a unique New Zealand story and will tour through museums and science centres for two years, beginning in late 2007.

The exhibition tour will coincide with the International Year of Planet Earth (2008) and the International Year of Darwin (2008).

GNS Science chief executive Alex Malahoff said New Zealand was fortunate to have the best fossil record in the Southern Hemisphere, and one which was internationally recognised.

"GNS Science has a huge collection running to millions of specimens," Dr Malahoff said.

"We will be selecting fossils that tell great stories and show the many applications in modern life that rely on fossils."

There would be no shortage of fossils to choose from, as museums and universities also held fascinating collections, he said.

The exhibition (as yet untitled) is scheduled to open at Puke Ariki Museum in New Plymouth in October 2007.

Museum director Bill Macnaught said Puke Ariki was delighted to be the first venue to host the exhibition.

"Not only will we be digging deep into our history but also, amazingly, fossils can help us predict what is going to happen to our environment in the future.

"This exhibition will give us great opportunities to enjoy and learn from a range of public programmes and events locally."

Shell New Zealand country chair Ajit Bansal said the company was keen to support a project that had such strong educational opportunities and community involvement.

"Past life forms play a much greater role in our everyday lives than many of us realise," he said.

"There are so many stories to tell and new fossil finds are adding to that all the time."

- NZPA