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Dinosaur fever takes over as children put Life’s resident dino expert to the test

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Dino Ranger Jake pictured with young boy in front of a stand titled 'Ask-A-Saurus'
Life's iconic logo is featured at the entrance to the science centre.
Life communications
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Young visitors flocked to Life Science Centre to quiz its resident dinosaur expert as part of a special event celebrating its hugely popular prehistoric exhibition.

Young visitors flocked to Life Science Centre (Life) to quiz its resident dinosaur expert as part of a special event celebrating its hugely popular prehistoric exhibition.

The Great Dinosaur Escape, which has been attracting record-breaking visitor numbers since opening, is the North’s biggest collection of moving dinosaurs featuring more than 25 dinosaurs, including a towering 9-metre T.rex, a baby Stegosaurus, and plenty more prehistoric legends.

Over 400 children took the opportunity today (Wednesday) to meet Life’s Schools and Communities Project Co-ordinator Jake Morton, and baby dinosaur Dash, for a special in person Ask Jake session.

The event brought to life the popular Ask Jake dinosaur social media series, in which Jake answers questions submitted by curious young dino fans.

Questions came thick and fast, with budding palaeontologists keen to find out everything from what dinosaurs ate and how they lived to which species were the biggest, fastest and fiercest.

And when it comes to dinosaurs, Jake has more than a passing interest. He studied for a degree in Geology before completing a Masters in Palaeobiology, giving him a wealth of specialist knowledge about the prehistoric creatures that have captured the imaginations of generations.

“One of the things I love about dinosaurs is that there is always something new to discover. My background in geology and palaeobiology has given me the opportunity to understand dinosaurs from a scientific perspective, but events like this remind me just how much curiosity and excitement they can inspire in children.

“It was fantastic to meet so many young dinosaur fans and hear the questions they had. Hopefully we’ve inspired some of our visitors to keep asking questions – and perhaps even sparked a few future careers in palaeontology along the way!”

Jake Morton, Project Coordinator at Life Science Centre

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