May 20, 2022

MoAW

presents

PALEO:

The Story of Life

The Prosimians

Advanced Early Primates

 Order Primates,

Subfamily Proconsulidae

Proconsul africanus

Miocene, Africa

THE CENOZOIC ERA

from 65 million years ago to the present

A series of glaciations distinguishes the era that includes the present. By the time the dust settled on top of the last Cretaceous sediment, another era had dawned, the Cenozoic ("Recent Life"), giving rise to rapidly diversifying groups of mammals. No longer relying on their diminutive size for survival in a world dominated by giants, the mammals immediately assumed the roles of chief competitors for supremacy over the newly abundant territory left by the passing of the dinosaurs, producing such giants of their own as the great wooly mammoths of the Ice Age.

As the early mammals diversified throughout the Paleocene ("Ancient Recent") and the subsequent Eocene ("Recent Dawn") epochs, from 64 to 36 million years ago, many of the modern mammal groups began to appear in the fossil record. Of these early mammals, several became extinct as rainforests retreated from the frost during the Oligocene ("Few Recent"), which ended 26 million years ago. The Miocene ("Less Recent"), which followed, lasted until 6 million years ago. Along with the appearance of large, new mountain ranges, the spreading of grasslands during this period gave rise to a vast radiation of grazing animals.

As the climate became colder throughout the Pliocene ("More Recent"), from 6 to 1.6 million years ago, numerous mammals became extinct while modern plants and animals appeared, including early humankind. During the Pleistocene ("Most Recent") epoch, from 1.6 million to 10,000 years ago, vast continental glaciers spread and receded as over half of the giant mammals became extinct following the appearance of modern humans.

Class Mammalia,

Order Primates

Adapis parisiensis

Middle to Late Eocene, France

Among the oldest groups of placental mammals, the first primates evolved from primeval insectivores (possibly tree shrews) about 70 million years ago. Equipped with premolars and vertical front teeth, Adapis ("Adjustable One") was somewhat more advanced than other early primates. Its forward-facing eyes, evolved for focusing on single objects, enabled it to leap from branch to branch with an accuracy of depth perception superior to that of earlier mammals. Flourishing throughout forests of Europe and North America some 40 to 50 million years ago, these long-tailed, cat-sized creatures were agile quadrupedal climbers that presumably fed on fruits and insects. Restricted to arboreal life (living in trees) by competition with the growing number of ground-dwelling rodents, this primitive ancestor of lemurs and tarsiers, with its 5-digited, grasping hands and feet, is believed to have indirectly given rise to the higher primates. Private collection.

Order Primates,

Family Omomyidae

Rooneyia viejaensis

Early Oligocene, Texas

Apparently derived from the lemur-like adapids, early prosimians known as omomyids appeared in North America and Europe at the dawn of the Eocene. Diverse throughout the period, particularly in North America, only a few genera survived into the Oligocene. Resembling tarsiers, earlier species appear to have been insectivorous, whereas the relatively late Rooneyia was probably a frugivore. The position of the eye socket suggests a distant link between these basal primates and living anthropoids. The lone representative of its species, the large-eyed Rooneyia was a contemporary relative of the first prosimians to appear in Africa. The University of Texas.

Order Primates,

Family Pliopithecidae

Aegyptopithecus zeuxis

Middle Oligocene, Egypt

In Egypt's Sahara, the exposed remains of a lush 33 million-year-old tropical rainforest have yielded rare fossils of Aegyptopithecus ("Ape From Egypt"), perhaps the oldest known direct ancestor of the great apes and humankind. Commonly known as the "Dawn Ape", this tiny tree-dwelling primate, no longer than a cat, probably fed on insects, fruit, and nuts. Possessing a short tail and primitive snout, its forward-facing eyes and 32 teeth link it with such later Miocene apes as Proconsul. From the famous Fayum Depression. Cairo Geological Museum.

 Order Primates,

Subfamily Proconsulidae

Proconsul africanus

Miocene, Africa

Along with the shrinking of the prehistoric Tethys Sea, the extinct early apes probably spread from Africa to Europe and Asia when the continents were once again linked. As the climate shifted and grasslands replaced the forests, some primates spread to the savannas, learning to stand upright and evolving cooperative societies for protection from the dangers that lurked in the tall grass. Sometime during the Miocene epoch (from 24 to 6 million years ago) the ancestral line of the hominids (the family that includes the great apes and humankind) diverged from that of the apes. With limbs adapted for crawling through trees, the quadrupedal Proconsul (named for a chimpanzee once popular in the London Zoo) is largely regarded as being ancestral to apes and hominids, possessing characteristics of both. Larger than monkeys, this tailless dryopithecene ("Oak Ape") inhabited the fringes of the forests and savannas of Miocene Africa from 22 to 15 million years ago, possibly living and hunting in primitively cooperative groups like the modern chimpanzee, although no evidence of this behavior has ever been found. Discovered in 1948 by Mary Leakey. National Museum of Kenya.

CURRENT EXHIBTIONS ON DISPLAY

ALL UNDER HEAVEN

Treasures of the East

Earth, Heaven,

and the Afterlife

A Very Special Gift From

Marlene and Bruce Kanter,

Heather James Fine Art

Michael H. Healy

Tianxia (天下) or, All Under Heaven is an ancient phrase used to define 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 to introduce Eastern philosophy and religion (Heaven), and funerary goods, objects found in the tombs of the elite (the Afterlife). Representing China, Japan, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, these artifacts are seen together for the first time as a comprehensive collection from the ancient world of 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.

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, the Hansen Planetarium, and the Hubble Telescope, this awesome display of cosmic spectacles is a journey to the early days of the cosmos. 

LUCY:

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.

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.

Click below for more information and to join.

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.

MoAW IS SPONSORED BY

ART LABOE FOUNDATION, INC.