Welcome to Ancient Animal Absurdity! That’s right, it’s not just about archosaurs anymore. Newly renamed, this showdown will now draw from all corners of the animal fossil record (penguins and whales and sharks... oh my!).
Get ready for some seriously epic prehistoric creatures!
Click to learn about each animal!
Click on each silhouette to learn out more about the competitors!
Ancient Animal Absurdity (AAA) is a free interactive activity we run throughout the month of April. Every year, eight prehistoric creatures face off in seven hypothetical head-to-head battles to determine the ultimate champion.
Each battle is written by our palaeontologists based on what we know about these animals from the most up-to-date science (and, of course, good ol' storytelling!). Please check the Creature Guide for competitor advantages and specs! After each battle, the victorious creature will move on to face its next opponent, but remember, the competitors carry over their injuries from the previous battle. In total, there will be seven battles posted to our website throughout the month of April.
The reconstruction of the prehistoric creatures each year is based on the most recent understanding of these animals in relation to peer-reviewed research. This includes information on what the animals looked like, how they behaved, and how they interacted with their environments. Our team carefully reviews the information to generate everything from the Creature Guide to the battles.
Make a habit of checking our website weekly during the months of March and April to stay up to date on all things AAA. You can follow along by tuning into our Introduction Videos, reading our Creature Guide, downloading your own Bracket and Silhouettes, voting in our Battle Polls, and interacting with our posts on social media (see our social handles in the footer below!). We also have a facebook group and youtube page for all of the video content.
AAA is the perfect mix of education and entertainment. Bring the excitement of AAA into your classroom by registering for our palaeontologist-curated lesson plans via our Educator Portal.
No worries! Let us know by emailing communicationsspecialist@dinomuseum.ca. We will work to get your question answered.
Ancient Animal Absurdity (formerly April Archosaur Absurdity) began as an online program developed during COVID in 2020. The inspiration came from Arizona State University’s March Mammal Madness, which itself was a play on the NCAA’s March Madness Basketball Tournament. In 2022, AAA was awarded the CASCADE Best Project Under $50 by the Canadian Association of Science Centres.
