Reflection Of The Evolving Planet

The Evolving Planet exhibit at Chicago’s Field Museum opened in 2006, and has become a popular permanent exhibit at the museum especially for students learning about biology. The exhibit is a well-funded demonstration of evolution on earth. The museum takes users from single cell organisms through to eons of life on earth through to modern man. The exhibit has both interactive and visual displays as well as carefully prepared videos. The exhibit attractions is a scientific connection of evolution to everything on Earth. Evolving Planet has a substantial dinosaur hall that contains every currently ‘known’ group of dinosaurs. Though persuasive, the exhibit is careful to underline that what is known is also an evolving process and that scientists and researchers are still learning about evolution.

The overall purpose of the exhibit is to demonstrate and display examples of the theory of evolution. The exhibit is designed to deliver evidence of the importance of evolution, answer questions, and try to correct any misunderstandings pertaining evolution that visitor’s may have.

The exhibit is outlined under major sections of evolution in displays. Early Earth, A World of Water, The Great Coal Forest, A Superb Supercontinent, The Hall of Dinosaurs, Marine Life and Fossils, Hominid Gallery (Mankind), Ice Age, and artist depictions. The exhibit has docents who give you a tour of the museum, explain the different sections of the museum and answer all questions. Also, throughout the exhibit there are interactive displays and useful videos which is great for those who have a difficult time imagining the different time periods evolution go through. The exhibit is located on the second floor of the museum with a sequences of connected rooms th...

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... at the exhibit and found that this is a sub class of reptile that many believe are the predecessors to modern mammals. I understand the concept, but still have a hard time following the evidence.

In my judgment, the exhibit does an excellent job in explaining the theory of evolution scientifically through displays and evidence to the non-scientist. The exhibit is laid out in useful and informative kiosks and displays. These displays contain traceable evidence of mutation and lay down side by side examples of related species that are physically different. Take the Irish Moose and Giant Sloths though not related, the whole point of the exhibit shows that evolution did not favor these oversized creatures. Much like the dinosaurs and mammoths, big exposed animals fared poorly. I highly recommend this exhibit to others especially those students taking biology courses.