Topic
Museum analysis: A Visit to the Natural History Museum Los Angeles
Instructions
Museum Analysis
Visit any one of the following museums and prepare a five pages, double-spaced typewritten analysis: How well do the exhibits at this museum reflect the legacy of life? Include in this report a checklist (i.e. table) of the number and kinds of paleontological exhibits, the amount of space, and what types of paleoecological habitats are represented.
Document your trip with a paid admission receipt, and illustrate your report with five representative photos (not postcards or cut-outs).
Each photo should have a caption describing it. The table-checklist, photos, and bibliography are not to be included as part of the written text. Any of the museums may be visited. Permission to visit other museums that have significant fossil and natural history collections may be granted in special circumstances if cleared first by the instructor.
Answer Preview
The visit to the Natural History Museum Los Angeles was quite informative as it advanced my knowledge on how dinosaurs transform into fossils. By the end of the tour, I learned that a sequence of events must take place for an animal or plant to become a fossil. I understand that the first stage is the mandatory burial of the animal or plant remains before they decompose fully. The condition for the burial must ensure that remains leave an impression or minerals replace the organic material (Acorn, 2007). Additionally, the fossils must endure millions of years of pressure, uplift and erosion to return to the surface.
Word count: 1620