Dinosauria (museum)


 * For the book of the same title, see Dinosauria.

Dinosauria, the taxon name (in latin) of dinosaurs, is also the name of a paleontological museum specifically specialized in dinosaurs. It is situaded in the french town of Espéraza, in the Aude department, south of the country. Having opened its doors in 1992 it is still directed by the association of the same name who created it, Dinosauria. The museum exhibits at least 35 different species of dinosaurs, mounted skeletons or real life size models. It also shows documentary movies to the public. The museum collections and rooms include skeletons, paleontological workshops and some other elements. In 2007 the museum received the compelete skeleton of an Ampelosaurus atacis specimen, found six years sooner (2001) during excavations in Bellevue (Bèlavista in occitan), in the town of Campagne-sur-Aude (Campanha d'Aude in occitan). This skeleton is the most complete dinosaur skeleton of its size ever found in France and is nicknamed Eva because of Eva Morvan, the student who first discovered it during the 2000/2001 excavations.

Some of the museum specimens

 * Ampelosaurus atacis (12 meters long complete skeleton)
 * Camarasaurus (skull)
 * Dunkleosteus errelli (1,1 meters long skull of a giant fish)
 * Mamenchisaurus (22 meters long complete skeleton)
 * Mixopterus (eurypterid, kind of gigantic sea scorpion)
 * Oviraptor philoceratops (skull)
 * Psittacosaurus (complete skeleton)
 * Psittacosaurus (life size model)
 * Quetzalcoatlus (12 meters wingspan complete skeleton, but it's not a dinosaur, it's a pterosaur)
 * Stenopterygius, (complete skeleton, but it's not a dinosaur, it's an ichthyosaur)
 * Struthiosaurus (complete skeleton)
 * Tarascosaurus salluvicus (life size model)
 * Triceratops (skull)
 * Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus (complete skeleton)
 * Tuojiangosaurus multispinus (complete skeleton)
 * Tyrannosaurus rex (11 meters long complete skeleton)
 * Variraptor mechinorum (feathered life size model)