Mega exhibition on dinosaurs arrives in Rio with giant replicas, space for children to play and even original bones

Not even the classic dinosaur films watched with 3D cinema technology can reproduce the experience of being under a replica of the skeleton of the largest species ever known, the Patagotitan (in the top right photo). This is the apex of expodinosa mega-exhibition about these extraordinary animals that starts its season this Sunday, in the parking lot of BarraShopping.

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— The tour of Expodinos begins by showing how we managed to discover everything we know about the prehistoric world. He then talks about the drivers of diversity: how geographic and climate change has multiplied life forms. When it seems that the exhibition is over, you come across the skeleton of the largest dinosaur in the world, an object not without reason coveted by major museums around the world – sums up the curator of the event in Brazil, Luiz E. Anelli, who is also a paleontologist and professor at USP.

The Patagotitan is in fact the star of the exhibition, with impressive numbers that guarantee it the title of the largest animal that has ever walked the Earth, measuring 37 meters in length and weighing the equivalent of 18 elephants. It was discovered in 2013 in Argentine Patagonia, when paleontologist Diego Puerto took a photo of it lying next to its femur (see sidebar). This, incidentally, is one of the original bones that are on display at the event.

Another Expodinos highlight also comes from Latin America: the Brazilian Buriolestes Schultzi, who lived 233 million years ago and is the oldest dinosaur skeleton ever found in the world, and was discovered in Rio Grande do Sul. In the show, there is a replica of it.

The area set up on site also has a café, shop, augmented reality and a children’s space for children to play paleontologists. Even though it is for the whole family, the experience has a different flavor for the little ones.

“Something very interesting happens to adults and children. Parents ask their children about dinosaurs, and the more serious ones explain things. Dinosaurs give little ones their first opportunity to be masters, and that is very special — observes Anelli, who is launching the book “New Complete Guide to Dinossaurs from Brazil” and will also be there this Sunday for an autograph session, between 10 am and 4pm.

More information: From Monday to Saturday, from 10 am to 9 pm; on Sundays, from 10 am to 8 pm. Half-price tickets for R$ 25 on the website livepass.com.br. Expodinos will be in Rio de Janeiro until the 16th of April, in the BarraShopping parking lot (Av. das Américas 4666, Barra; entrance through gate J).