The North Carolina Museum of Natural Science's current traveling exhibit, "Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries," will take flight Sunday, March 2.

Not since 2003, when it hosted "Titanic," has the museum seen such high daily attendance numbers for a special exhibit.

"Dinosaurs," which features a life-size model of a newly identified feather-covered tyrannosaur, presents the most up-to-date look at how scientists are reinterpreting many of the most persistent and puzzling mysteries of dinosaurs.

It also details the complex and hotly debated theories of why they became extinct and how they are linked to present-day birds.

Ever since the first dinosaur fossil was identified almost 200 years ago, people have been fascinated by these animals and now, thanks to advanced technology, scientists are locating new dinosaur fossils faster than ever before.

Specific features of the exhibition also include:

- Museum senior curator of paleontology, Dr. Dale Russell offers a life-size model of the Dinosauroid, an intelligent dinosaur.

- A full-size cast skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

- A robotic six-foot-long T. rex skeleton walking in place that is the most accurate three-dimensional representation of a dinosaur in motion ever created.

- A large "trophy wall" of mounted dinosaur skulls, ranging from the three-horned Triceratops to the dome-headed Pachycephalosaurus, which illustrates the latest theories on the purposes of the unusual horns, frills, crests and domes found on many dinosaur skulls.

"Dinosaurs" is organized by the American Museum of Natural History (New York), in collaboration with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Houston Museum of Natural Science; California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco) and The Field Museum (Chicago).

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors (60+) and students, $5 for children (5-11).

For more information, visit www.naturalsciences.org.