Science After Hours | The Mystery of the Tiny Tyrannosaur

In 1942, Cleveland Museum of Natural History curator Dr. David Dunkle discovered the most controversial dinosaur skull of the last century.

After years of study, the skull was assigned to the tyrannosaur genus Gorgosaurus. In 1988, Museum curator Dr. Michael Williams and his colleagues renamed it Nanotyrannus lancensis, a new species.

Since then, paleontologists have been unable to agree whether this skull indeed belongs to a Nanotyrannus—or to a juvenile T. rex. In 2025 Dr. Caitlin Colleary, the Museum's Associate Curator and Joan and Dan Holmes Family Endowed Chair of Vertebrate Paleontology, and a team of paleontologists finally put an end to the debate. Join Dr. Colleary as she shares the results of their research.

Doors open at 6pm; the program begins at 6:30pm in the Rare Book Room. The evening will continue in the galleries and conclude with a reception in the Visitor Hall.

Tickets & Parking

Nonmembers: $35
Members: $30
Leadership Circle: FREE

To learn more about joining the Leadership Circle, please contact Kelly Federico, Annual Fund Manager, at 216.231.4600 x3360 or kfederico@cmnh.org.

$10 flat-rate parking in the Museum's attached garage

About Science After Hours

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History's Science After Hours program invites you to connect with the Museum community while deepening your understanding of the natural world and your place within it. Join other lifelong learners for enriching discussions, sneak peeks at emerging research findings, and firsthand insights from experts. Each program features a different topic, highlights information from our new galleries, and is sure to spark your curiosity and inspire action.