The next exhibit at the Putnam Museum and Science Center has been 500 million years in the making.

The new exhibit, “Animal Armor: The Evolution of Armor in Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals,” will open Saturday, Sept. 20. The displays invite visitors to explore the remarkable ways animals across 500 million years have adapted armor for survival—and how these adaptations continue to inspire human innovation.

“Animal Armor” examines the evolutionary battle between protection and predation, according to a Putnam release. Visitors will discover the trade-offs between mobility and defense, learning how armor served as both a shield and a limitation. From skeletons of ancient sea scorpions and armored fish to dinosaurs like Ankylosaurs, the exhibit highlights the diverse strategies animals used to survive in a constantly changing world.

Gaston Design Inc., the creators of the unique “Animal Armor” exhibition, related their excitement in presenting this one-of-a-kind display. Robert Gaston, president and discoverer of the armored dinosaur Gastonia, stated: “It is incredibly fascinating to see the common connections between creatures as diverse as insects and dinosaurs, and how humans have adopted those same defensive strategies.”

The exhibit will be on display through February 15, 2026.

The museum is open seven days a week at 1717 W. 12th Street, Davenport. For more information about events and exhibits, visit www.putnam.org.

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Jonathan Turner

Jonathan Turner -- who has called the Quad Cities home since 1995 -- has decades of experience as a professional journalist and pianist. His experience writing for daily newspapers, public radio and local TV encompasses a wide range of subjects, including the arts, politics, education, economic development, historic preservation, business, and tourism.

Jonathan most loves writing about music and the arts (which he now does as a freelancer for the River Cities Reader and Visit Quad Cities). He has a passion for accompanying musicals, singers, choirs and instrumentalists, including playing for QC Music Guild's 2023 productions of RENT and SWEENEY TODD. He is assistant music director and accompanist for the spring 2025 Music Guild show, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. He wrote an original musical based on The Book of Job, which premiered at Playcrafters in 2010. Jonathan penned a 175-page history book about downtown Davenport, that was published by The History Press in 2016, and a travel guide about the QC published by Reedy Press in 2022.