In Six Extinctions visitors will encounter the remarkable species that were wiped out in these events such as dinosaurs, armored fish, giant flightless birds, and the Thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger. The Bruce Museum will be the first venue on the show’s North American tour.

Six Extinctions spans half a billion years of Earth history and opens visitors’ eyes to the causes of mass extinctions, ranging from ancient catastrophic volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts to the present-day dangers of climate change and deforestation.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is the Cretaceous Extinction section, which includes a stunning Tyrannosaurus and Torosaurus, two victims of the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. Visitors will also come face to face with life-like models of animals like the Thylacine and Great Auk that were wiped out by humans in the sixth mass extinction—one of our own making. The exhibition concludes with a call to action, the short film “How to Save Our Planet," narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Six Extinctions is organized by Gondwana Studios. The Bruce Museum’s presentation is curated by Daniel Ksepka, Ph.D., Curator of Science at the Bruce. Major support for Six Extinctions is provided by Bank of America and the Charles M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund. Additional support is provided by Connecticut Humanities and the State of Connecticut Department of Economic Community Development.

Tyrannosaurus Rex
Photo by Richard Harmey
Courtesy of Gondwana Studios

Arthropleura
Photo by Richard Harmey
Courtesy of Gondwana Studio

Dromornis bird and Woolly Mammoth skull
Photo by Richard Harmey
Courtesy of Gondwana Studios

Orthoceras
Photo by Richard Harney
Courtesy of Gondwana Studios