July 8, 2022

MoAW

presents

PALEO: The Story of Life

4.6 Billion Years of Fossil History

Introducing The World of Trilobites

THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PALEOZOIC ERA

from 570 million to 345 million years ago

Known as the Cambrian explosion, about 570 million years ago dense populations of complex sea creatures suddenly appeared, marking the beginning of the Cambrian period and of the Paleozoic era. First discovered in northern Wales (once known as Cambria), fossils of this period document the early establishment of all modern animal phyla, followed by the emergence of primitive, jawless fish in the Ordovician (500 million years ago), named for an ancient Celtic tribe of western Wales, the Ordovices, whose farms were built on rocks rich in fossils.

Following the Ordovician, rich formations found along the border of Wales and England derive their name from the savage tribe of Silures that inhabited the region during the Roman occupation. Throughout the Silurian (435 million years ago), plants and insects invaded the land. In the Devonian (395 million years ago), characterized by fossils first discovered in Devon, England, advanced lobe-finned fish and tetrapod amphibians appeared in the freshwater streams of the newly formed Old Red Sandstone Continent which united Greenland with Europe and North America. At the close of both the Ordovician and Devonian periods, Gondwanaland drifted over the south pole, triggering the onset of glacial episodes accompanied by mass extinctions of marine life. 

TRILOBITES

The most commonly preserved creatures of the ancient Cambrian seas were the ubiquitous trilobites (“Three Lobes”). Comprising more than half of all known animal life at the time they shared the warmer waters with early jellyfish and sponges. Throughout the Silurian and Devonian periods, as predatory eurypterid, early jawed fish, and amphibians appeared and proliferated, the numbers of trilobites dwindled, disappearing entirely at the close of the Paleozoic Era some 245 million years ago.

Phylum Arthropoda,

OrderAgnostida

Ptychagnostus

Middle Cambrian, Utah

Already well-established by the dawn of the Cambrian, this ancient order of minuscule, ancestral trilobites must have evolved in the primordial seas of the Precambrian. Although most agnostids (“Unaware Ones”) were not equipped with eyes, these early creatures, less than half an inch in size, persisted for some 135 million years. Ptychagnostus (“Folded Unaware One”), characterized by their minute size, lack of eyes, and greatly reduced thoracic (midsection) segments, lived a planktonic, drifting lifestyle in dark, murky marine environments which apparently were not conducive to vision. They became extinct around the close of the Ordovician. Private collection.

Phylum Arthropoda,

Class Trilobita

Homotelus bromidensis

Ordovician, Oklahoma

Presumably evolved from segmented Precambrian annelid worms, these primitive arthropods, distinguished by their simple eyes and enlarged cephalons and pygidia, were simple scavengers, dwelling on the muddy sea bottoms and grubbing for food, periodically shedding their sturdy exoskeletons as their softer internal parts outgrew them. A gentle and gregarious creature, Homotelus (“Same End”) derives its name from the similarity between its anterior and posterior sections. This spectacular cluster of 30 ptychoparlid trilobites perished together 500 million years ago in the ancient sea of Oklahoma, preserved in a mass burial along with castoff moltings, in beautiful mosaic detail. Private collection. 39

Class Trilobita,

Order Phacopida

Dalmanites

Early Silurian, Tennesse

Though some trilobites were sightless, most were equipped with either single-lens or compound eyes. With an almost hemispherical field of vision to aid them in their hunt for food on the muddy ocean bottoms, trilobites were the first creatures on Earth to develop complex eyes, some of which were composed of over 10,000 individual lenses.

Although compound eyes were not uncommon among the diminished groups of trilobites that survived the Ordovician extinction, this progressive order of early phacopids had eyes equipped with an advanced type of lens structure that enabled them to see better in the deeper, darker waters and at night. Inhabiting the offshore marine environments of the Silurian, this rare and giant form of Dalmanites may have been nocturnal. Burrowing with its diminutive telson (tail spike) into the soft sand until only their heads were exposed, they would lie in wait for tiny drifting prey. Private collection

Class Trilobita,

Order Phacpida

Phacops africanus

Devonian, Morocco

Although trilobites began to decline after the close of the Cambrian, probably as a result of increased predation from the rapidly growing numbers of fish and other marine life, they enjoyed a temporary resurgence of diversity in the Devonian, giving rise to the largest and most grotesque forms known. In dwindling numbers, these once common creatures survived into the Permian before vanishing from the fossil record. This giant phacopid trilobite, with its excellently preserved compound eyes, each composed of over 100 individual lenses, is characterized by its large eyes, a granularly decorated glabella (face), and the ability to enroll. Private collection

CURRENT EXHIBTIONS ON DISPLAY

Figure of Maitreya Buddha

China, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

Painted Wood, Glass & Obsidian

He who arrives on Earth from Heaven after a time of decline and chaos

to restore order and harmony.

ALL UNDER HEAVEN

Earth, Heaven,

and the Afterlife

A Very Special Gift From

Marlene and Bruce Kanter,

Heather James Fine Art

Tim Walsh

Michael H. Healy

Tianxia (天下) or, All Under Heaven, is the ideal of a perfect and harmonious empire in the eyes of the people.

50 original antiquities spanning millennia (3,600 B.C. to 1850 A.D.) of ancient Asian cultures, from mysterious funerary objects and life-size protective temple guardians, to delicate terracotta sculptures created for the tombs of the deceased. A tapestry of silk and gold thread, a rare lacquered cosmetic box, earthen vessels, and bronze statues, these ancient treasures from China, Japan, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, celebrate everlasting happiness, remembrance, and eternal life.

This grand collection of 50 Asian antiquities is divided into three sections: Earthly possessions, objects used by the living, the temple icons of Buddha and Shiva (Heaven), and funerary goods, objects found in the tombs of the elite (the Afterlife). Representing China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, MoAW premieres these dazzling artifacts for the first time together in one exhibition All Under Heaven: Earth, Heaven, and the Afterlife.

PALEO: The Story of Life

4.6 billion years of fossil history 

Drawn from the world’s foremost fossil collections, the unprecedented treasury of fossil casts known as PALEO: The Story of Life brings together in one exhibition some of the most exciting finds in the history of paleontology from over a century of worldwide excavations, exhibited in geological, chronological order.

From 2.5 billion-year-old single cellular cyanobacteria responsible for the oxygenation of the atmosphere to the first multicellular life of 700 million years ago, PALEO: The Story of Life spans 4.6 billion years in scope. From the Precambrian to the Paleozoic Era, from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods of the Mesozoic Era to mammals and prehistoric humans of the Cenozoic Era (including the famous Lucy skeleton), this internationally acclaimed, comprehensive collection dramatically illustrates the awesome story of prehistoric life on Earth.

Displaying casts of rare fossils from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, this prestigious collection includes skeletons, skulls, claws, and eggs gathered from such revered museums as the Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History, The Royal Ontario Museum, the Carnegie Museum, and the National Museums of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, as well as many others.

Cathedral City

Historical Society

presents

Then and Now

A 40th-year anniversary exhibition of the history of Cathedral City

A comprehensive photographic and artifact-rich timeline of the history of Cathedral City will greet you upon entering the lobby of the Museum of Ancient Wonders. This is an exhibition of recollections of the people and places that created Cathedral City's early history and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its burgeoning progress, from the past to the present, THEN AND NOW is a loving tribute to the City of Cathedral City.

THE CRAB NEBULA (M1) IN TAURUS.

Photographed with the 26-inch Crossley Reflector at Lick Observatory. Copyright Regents, University of California. Lick Observatory photograph.

On Display In Association With PALEO: The Story of Life

STARSCAPE:

A Journey To The

Beginning of Time

This spectacular collection of 33 space photographs combines breathtaking digitalized images from the historic Mariner, Viking, and Voyager probes with stunning photographs from the Apollo lunar missions, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based observatories. Gathered from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology, the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the Hansen Planetarium, this awesome display of cosmic spectacles is a journey to the early days of the cosmos. 

photo: Steve Salisbury

LUCY:

(Australopithecus afarensis)

The Story of Human Origins

(Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins and

the National Museum of Ethiopia,

Addis Ababa)

On view exclusively at the

Museum of Ancient Wonders

JURASSIC WONDERS

11 Lifesize Metal Dinosaurs

Public Art Display

created by

Ricardo Breceda

MoAW presents JURASSIC WONDERS, a public art installation in collaboration with Cathedral City displaying 11 lifesize Dinosaurs created by renowned artist Ricardo Breceda. Divided into 4 stunning dioramas on the corner of Buddy Rogers Drive and East Palm Canyon Drive across the street from City Hall until December 31, 2022.

READ REVIEWS FROM FROM  MoAW's VISITORS

Become A Member of MoAW

The newest perk of membership: Free admission to more than 1,200 museums nationwide through the North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM) Plus, discounts at their museum shops and restaurants (if given to their members). Local museums include the Palm Springs Art Museum and Cabot's Pueblo Museum, several museums in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, throughout California, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, including Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is available to all members at the Donor Level ($125.00) or higher. Members who qualify will be receiving new membership cards with the NARM logo to be used at participating museums.

Current members who would like to upgrade their membership to take advantage of this new benefit please give us a call, (442) 268-5004.

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THANK YOU

MoAW's mission is to educate a diverse audience about the history of ancient civilizations and prehistoric life using fossils and artifacts from a variety of cultures and time periods; to enhance universal curriculum development for local and surrounding school districts, colleges, and universities, establishing museum diversity for the Coachella Valley.

Hours of Operation:

Monday - Saturday

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Sunday 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.



The last admission is taken one hour before closing.

Admission:

$15.00 Adults

$12.00 Students, Seniors, & Military

$ 3.00 Discount available for Coachella Valley Residents

$10.00 Group Rate for 10 or more individuals.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MoAW is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, the American Alliance of Museums, and the California Association of Museums. Contributions are tax-deductible and gratefully accepted.

MoAW IS SPONSORED WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE FOLLOWING:

Art Laboe Foundation, Inc.

Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation

Members and Patrons

THANK YOU