The adventure begins!
October 2 marks the public opening of the world-premiere exhibition, Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages. Join us on a journey across 80,000 years of Earth's history. Explore the power of ice and cold in shaping the world we live in today.
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Special video
Behind-the-scenes look at Planet Ice
Enjoy a rare glimpse behind the scenes as the installation of Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages brings an 80,000-year story of ice, cold and adaptation to life! Hear a few words from our presenting and supporting partners, who share their perspectives on the relevance of this new exhibition at this crucial time.
Close encounters of the "adaptation" kind
Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages
The Canadian Museum of Nature's newest exhibition features more than 120 fascinating artifacts, fossils, casts, taxidermied mounts and life-like models. Among the amazing animals you'll encounter are the caribou, muskox and grey wolf (seen above), all of which have adapted to survive in cold environments over millenia. Remember to buy your tickets in advance, online at nature.ca/tickets. Don't forget your mask!
Nature Scoop
Tusks: Mastodon vs. Mammoth
Palaeobiologist Danielle Fraser, Ph.D., explains how our experts at our museum were able to identify tusk specimens as belonging to a mammoth rather than a mastodon. Tusks have a lot of scientific value. and can even reveal, through chemical analysis, what the animal was eating and drinking throughout its lifetime.
A treasure from the Champlain Sea
Fossil beluga skull
This remarkable fossil skull of a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) was found in 1906 during the excavation of a well near Pakenham, Ontario. Around 10,000 years ago, the area was covered by the Champlain Sea, an ancient “arm” of the Atlantic Ocean that covered parts of southern Quebec and eastern Ontario. Learn more about the beluga whale in the Museum’s Natural History Notebooks and come see the specimen in the new exhibition!
Editor: Laura Sutin
Questions or comments can be sent to lsutin@nature.ca
Photos:
Mammals in Planet Ice: Martin Lipman
