WE WOULD like to comment on two interesting commentaries on our
current endeavours to bring dinosaurs to the new natural history
museum in Singapore.
We are delighted that Ms Ong Sor Fern ('What have dinosaurs got
to do with S'pore?'; last Saturday) enjoyed her visit to the old
museum and recognises the importance of having a new natural
history museum that features Singapore's plant and animal life.
We remain committed to this and 90 per cent of the new gallery
will celebrate the biodiversity of Singapore and South-east Asia.
We are also planning for a heritage gallery that will showcase
material from the original museum.
The funding from the initial donations has already been
earmarked for safeguarding the historic collections and exhibiting
these specimens.
However, modern natural history museums should not feature only
today's biodiversity because it gives the erroneous impression that
the planet's biota does not change. That is why all major museums
use fossils of extinct species to introduce ancient 'lost worlds'.
We must also remember that more than 100 million years ago,
Singapore was part of a huge continent called Laurasia, a landmass
on which dinosaurs roamed.
Dinosaurs are therefore part of Singapore's 'deep' history.
Unfortunately, Singapore's tropical climate is not conducive to
preserving dinosaur fossils. This is why we have started a
fund-raising effort to acquire three spectacular dinosaurs that
will educate the public about the history of life. These are also
of exceptional scientific value because they are the best-preserved
large sauropods ('long-necks') that have been unearthed in decades.
They would anchor our exhibit on geological change, which would
also feature Singapore's palaeontological history.
As to their educational value, Mr Ignatius Low ('Why we need
dinos'; Sunday) rightfully observed that dinosaurs 'inspire and
awe'. There is no doubt that dinosaurs attract visitors of all ages
and backgrounds, and we can then be more effective in teaching them
about global biodiversity, extinction and conservation. We see the
specimens as a major catalyst for research and education, and are
also convinced that they will significantly increase the
visitorship to the galleries dedicated to Singapore's natural
history.
Unfortunately, we will be able to showcase these specimens only
if our fund-raising drive is successful. We hope Singaporeans will
help us bring these dinosaurs to Singapore.
Professor Rudolf Meier
Chairman, Scientific Advisory Committee
Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
National University of Singapore
Professor Peter Ng
Director, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
National University of Singapore
Professor Leo Tan
Director, Special Projects, Faculty of Science and
Chairman, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
Fund-Raising Committee
