Learn the Science of Skulls at Cal Academy Starting May 16!

This Friday, the California Academy of Sciences is opening our newest exhibit "Skulls" which I'm super excited about.  

This latest exhibit will focus on all of the things you can learn about an animal from its skull, why we collect skulls and skeletons, and our impressive collection of skulls … from the tiniest bird skulls the size of a quarter to gigantic whale skulls. 

One of my favorite parts of the exhibit will be a live exhibition of dermestid flesh-eating beetles, some of our hardest working "volunteers" at the Academy. These little guys will reduce a small animal carcass to a gleaming white skeleton in just a few days. Check out this time-lapse video of a host of dermestids making short work of a sea otter skull in just four days.

 

There's also a couple of digital and hand-on interactives that let you get up close and person with different skulls to find out what stories they tell about the creatures lives and adaptations. I played with some of the 3D digital interactives, which I can tell is going to be really popular with all ages to explore.

But of course the main attraction is going to be the amazing sight of 400 sea lion skulls arrayed along one wall (with a few interlopers in the mix).  I got a glimpse of it a week ago and it's going to be an truly awesome sight for visitors. So get your cameras ready.

There's a lot more in the exhibit that I don't want to give away. You are just going to have to come here to check it out.

"Skulls" opens at the California Academy of Sciences on May 16 through September 1st.  Join us in the evening of Thursday May 22 for a special skulls-themed Nightlife party!