FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
JANE CHRISTYSON - 216-635-3229 -or- 216-780-9592
BOB ROTATORI - 216-635-3263 -or- 216-339-1699
On Thursday, October 4 at 2 p.m., a fearsome 20-foot replica of
the ancient fish Dunkleosteus will be revealed as it is
literally ripped from its encasement in a representation of the
Devonian Sea.
The replica �Dunk� is just one part of a new, more than
2,800-square-foot exhibit at Rocky River Nature Center, with a
budget of $45,000 that was entirely conceived, designed and
constructed by in-house staff.
The new exhibit in Rocky River Nature Center interprets the
dynamics of the Rocky River Valley, from pre-historic to present
day. The exhibit examines the river, the plants and animals
that utilize the river, pond life (including a beaver dam and
lodge), the geology of the area (including a shale wall where
children can search for model fossils), �Dunk,� and the human story
(including American Indians and settlers of the 1830s).
There are also five aquariums with live fish and frogs, a live
turtle viewing area, and live snakes within the exhibit area,
too. All animals and plants on exhibit are native to Rocky
River Reservation. All fossil models have been based on
fossils found within the reservation.
Dunkleosteus ruled the Devonian seas nearly 360 million
years ago before the time of the dinosaurs. �Dunk� lived in the
tropical sea that then covered Ohio. �Dunk� fossils of
specimens up to 20 feet in length are frequently found in the shale
cliffs of Rocky River Reservation. But, experts say that �Dunk� may
have been up to 30 feet in length and weighed as much as 4 tons,
similar in size to a modern day killer whale. It is believed
that �Dunk� ate sharks and other marine life with its blade-like
jaws and armored head. A mass extinction at the end of the
Devonian era caused �Dunk� to become extinct.
�Dunk� and the new exhibit will be revealed soon at Rocky River
Nature Center!
-30-
Cleveland Metroparks - part of your life,
naturally!
EDITOR'S NOTE: Members of the media are invited on
Thursday, October 4 at 2 p.m. to watch an unveiling of the �Dunk�
replica by a group of children recruited from Cleveland Metroparks
Kids Club. Rocky River Nature Center is located at 24000 Valley
Parkway in Rocky River Reservation in North Olmsted. "_GoBack">
