Earth Science Museum
University of Waterloo
200 University Ave. W.
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
Phone: (519) 888-4567 ext. 32469
Up for a challenge? Check out our scavenger hunts for young learners and explore the museum as you’ve never seen it before! You can find printed copies along with pencils in the Dino Pit, or print your own off at home using the links below. It takes about 30 minutes to complete.
All scavenger hunts can be completed in the museum main atrium (floors one and two), which is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm everyday.
French translation by Johanne Fortier!
Name: _______________________ Date:_______________________
Nom: __________________________ Date: _______________
Name: _________________________ Date: _______________
Name: _________________________ Date: _______________
1. The earliest reptile fossil found to date is Hylonomis lyelii from 312 million years ago (MYA). The earliest reptile in the Museum is 250 to 299 MYA. It’s name is C_ _ _ _ _ _ _ N _ _ .
2. Mammals are the only living synapsids. The synapsid skull only has one temporal fenestra (opening). This mammal, which is often mistaken as a dinosaur, is the oldest synapsid represented in the museum: _ _ M _ _ _ _ D _ _ .
3. Birds are descended from Dinosaurs, and in particular, therapsid dinosaurs which had lizard-like hips. The largest example of a saurischian hip at the Museum belongs to _ _ _ E _ _ _ S _ U _ _ _ . A smaller cousin of Tyrannosaurus Rex.
4. The other major group of dinosaurs is the ornithischian. The only example of the ornithischian hip at the Museum can be found on _ _ _ A _ _ _ _ O _ _ _ _ U _ , which is missing its back leg and tail.
5. The fishes that led to the earliest amphibians were known as: R _ _ _ I _ I _ _ I _ _ .
6. Early fishes included sharks. There is only one shark fossil in the Earth Sciences Museum and it is a single tooth belonging to: M _ _ _ _ _ _ O _ .
7. The oldest batoidea (Ray) in the museum was found in Western North America. It dates to 50 million years ago which is the _ _ C _ _ _ era.
8. While birds are descended from therapsid dinosaurs, they are nit direct descendants of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Several early birds have been discovered. A _ _ _ _ _ O _ T _ _ _ _ is an early ‘protobird’.
9. Early jawed fishes included placoderms. Bothriolepis includes about 60 species found worldwide. These fish were also distinguished by their dermal _ R _ _ _ R .
Earth Science Museum
University of Waterloo
200 University Ave. W.
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
Phone: (519) 888-4567 ext. 32469
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.