From the American saber-toothed tiger, extinct 10,000 years ago, to the Madagascar elephant-bird that disappeared over the past millennium, eleven extinct species will resurface from the past, in augmented reality, in National Museum of Natural History in Paris.
These very diverse animals all have one thing in common: having, during their lifetime, met modern man (homo sapiens) before dying. Today, “only technology allows us to reconstruct what has been lost”, explains Bruno David, the director of the Museum, where the exhibition Relive opens Wednesday June 16.
#ReviveAR | D-Day is approaching. From June 16, you will be able to live a unique experience: discover extinct species in augmented reality! Treat yourself to a spectacular and friendly visit! pic.twitter.com/h9fOtpT3zj
– National Museum of Natural History (@Le_Museum) June 9, 2021
In a room in the Great Gallery of Evolution, in the middle of stuffed specimens, seven dodos suddenly approach the visitor and observe him. The effect is startling: the creatures seem to be within reach. Through augmented reality glasses, a voice tells how these birds of Mauritius disappeared in the 17th century after the arrival of European sailors who hunted them to extinction.
Curtain on the dodos, another sequence begins with the arrival of a handful of quagga, equines of southern Africa between zebra and horse, wandering among the motionless animals in their glass cages. The quagga were also hunted for their skin and their meat, before becoming extinct in 1880.
An augmented version of a sea animal skull emerges from a display case where the original rests. Little by little, the 8-meter body of Steller’s rhythm is reconstituted before our eyes, as if in flesh and blood.
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This species, close to the manatee, experienced rapid extinction: discovered in 1741 in the North Pacific, hunted for its oil and meat, it disappeared less than 30 years later. “The aim was to cover different types of animal families and to vary sizes, behaviors and textures.“, explains Rémi Dupouy, associate naturalist of the Saola studio, specializing in augmented reality.
To prepare for this 15-minute meeting, Muséum researchers and studio teams worked at length to scientifically reconstruct the morphology and behaviors of these animals from the past. Their stories also shed light on current endangered species, “suffering from anthropogenic pressures“, emphasizes the Museum.
The exhibition, whose end date has not been set, is recommended for visitors over 8 years old.
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