3D Printing Dawn of Life
Burgess Shale and Mistaken Point
“On December 4, 2021, Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) unveiled the Willner Madge Gallery, Dawn of Life—a new 10,000 square-foot state-of-the-art gallery that covers nearly 4 billion years of evolution from the earliest microbes to the emergence of dinosaurs and mammals in the aftermath of the biggest mass extinction event in history…
This is a landmark moment in the history of the Museum,” says Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO. “This is the first major new permanent gallery to open at ROM in a decade and the first of its kind in North America. The Willner Madge Gallery delves into the fundamental mystery of life, where we came from, and how ecosystems as we know them began. Dawn of Life brings together ROM’s vast collection of fossils, decades of fieldwork, research, and groundbreaking scientific discoveries into a dedicated space to tell the epic story of life as it has never been told before. A story that begins in the very rocks of Canada.
The gallery will feature specimens from exceptional Canadian fossil deposits of great scientific significance, four of which are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Each of these UNESCO fossil sites provide extraordinary fossil evidence of major intervals in life history, from oldest to youngest: Mistaken Point (Newfoundland and Labrador), the Burgess Shale from Yoho and Kootenay National Parks (British Columbia), Miguasha National Park (Québec) and Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Nova Scotia).”
“One thing I would like people to take away is that life is very old… This was millions of years in the making.”
“To help bring the mysterious creatures to life, many of which exist only as faint outlines on flat grey rock, the exhibit is adorned with artist’s renderings and 3D-printed models that have the effect of turning stone into flesh.” – Globe and Mail (read the full article here)
Most of the last 2 years (of millions of years) were spent by many of us at Objex Unlimited, working closely with the amazing team at the Royal Ontario Museum. We are very proud and honoured to be a small part of this project and among the many talented artist that have brought these models to life.
If your in Toronto be sure to check it out!
Anomalocaris
An extinct genus of radiodont, an order of animals thought to be closely related to ancestral arthropods. – Wikipedia
- File Prep and Texturing – > 200hours
- 3D Printing Machine Time – >1000hours
- Finishing and Sanding – >350hours
Metaspriggina
A genus of chordate initially known from two specimens in the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale. – Wikipedia
- File Prep and Texturing:
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