May
30

Today in Smithsonian History: May 30, 1985

Robert Emry and Hyracotherium Skeleton

The skeleton of a Hyracotherium, a tiny horse that heralded one of the major evolutionary trends of the age of mammals– the move to grazing–from the National Museum of Natural History’s exhibit “Mammals in the Limelight,” which opened May 30, 1985. In the background is Robert Emry, curator of fossil mammals in the Department of Paleobiology, who was in charge of the planning committee for the hall. (Photo by Victor Krantz, as featured in the Torch, May 1985)

May 30, 1985 “Mammals in the Limelight” opens in the National Museum of Natural History as a permanent exhibition. The exhibition consists of murals showing environmental changes in North America by depicting the landscape as it was 50, 30, 20, and 10 million years ago. Also included are mounted skeletons, including a fox-sized horse, titantothere and giant stegomastodon, which reflect how animals adapted to environmental changes.

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Posted: 30 May 2019
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