Find Your Spirit Animal at NHMU's Past Worlds Exhibit

Utah residents share their home with thousands of fossils belonging to ancient life forms. The Natural History Museum of Utah brings these animals to life in the Past Worlds exhibit.
The gallery features casts of all of the animals listed here and many more! Take the quiz to find out which ancient creature is your spirit animal. Then head over to the Natural History Museum of Utah to meet them in person!


Gryposaurus monumentensis
Gryposaurus, meaning "hooked beak lizard" was a large hadrosaur, or "duck-billed" dinosaur.  Reaching 40 feet in length, paleontologist Scott Sampson referred to it as the “Arnold Schwarznegger of duck-billed dinosaurs.” It is believed that hadrosaurs lived in herds and nested in colonies to care for their young. Gryposaurus roamed North America during the late Cretaceous era.

Utahceratops gettyi
A Triceratops relative, Utahceratops had three horns and a large frill. A beak-like mouth and closely-packed teeth were used for cutting and eating plants. The skull alone of this dinosaur was 7 feet long! Utahceratops lived in Utah during the late Cretaceous era. Unlike Triceratops, Utahceratops had short, stubby horns above its eyes and nose.


Barosaurus lentus
Barosaurus roamed North America and Western Africa during the late Jurassic era. Barosaurus was massive, measuring more than 85 feet in length and weighing more than 20 tons! A long neck and
even longer tail added to an all around impressive and intimidating dinosaur.




Megalonyx jeffersonii 
Otherwise known as the Giant Ground Sloth.
An ancient relative of the sloth living in the Pleistocene era, the Giant Sloth grew 8 to 10 feet long and weighed over 1 ton. The Giant Sloth had a short snout with a large jaw and teeth used to grind up plants. Long claws allowed the sloth to tear tree branches and leaves.




Deinosuchus
Deinosuchus, meaning "terrible crocodile," is an extinct alligator relative that lived during the late Cretaceous era. Deinosuchus had a life span of up to 50 years and could grow to be 35 feet long. A ferocious carnivore, Deinosuchus lived in the water and preyed on dinosaurs at the water's edge.



Allosaurus fragilis
Allosaurus, meaning "different delicate reptile" was a prominent predator in the Jurassic Era and is the state dinosaur of Utah. With sharp teeth, hooked claws, and long limbs built for running, Allosaurus was a formidable carnivore that preyed on smaller dinosaurs.

Take the quiz to find out which ancient creature is your spirit animal!

Tourism: A Globalizing Industry

          “Why is it important to study tourism? The immediate and obvious answer to this question is that it is a global activity of major proportions and huge economic significance” (Wyllie, 2011, p. 2). Tourism is an exciting and growing industry that plays a major role in the economic impacts of globalization including the multiplier effect and the stimulation of local business.

When people travel, they are bringing and spending money that was not originally part of the destination economy. This causes the economy to expand rather than maintain at a steady level of circulation. The resulting economic growth can be largely attributed to the multiplier effect (Kotler, Bowen, & Makens, 2010, p. 504). When tourists spend money, it directly helps the employees of the industry (hotels, restaurants, rental cars, etc.). These employees turn around and spend the money in other industries (grocery stores, hospitals, schools, etc.). Thus tourist dollars touch every part of a destination community, making them an influential part of the economy.

Tourists travel to a destination with the intent of spending money. Especially in terms of souvenirs and food, the demand for local products is high. “Many tourist destinations provide government-supported market areas for the sale of locally produced handicrafts” (Kotler, Bowen, & Makens, 2010, p. 505). Accordingly, tourism can encourage and stimulate local small businesses.

Tourism has incredible scope in terms of economics. “The travel industry is the world’s largest industry and the most international in nature” (Kotler, Bowen, & Makens, 2010, p. 5). The global character of the tourism results in greater circulation of money and increased incentive for local producers to sell to an international market.   

References

Kotler, P., Bowen, J. T., & Makens, J. C. (2010). Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Wyllie, R. W. (2011). An Introduction to Tourism. State College, PA: Venture Publishing, Inc.

Characteristics of a Professional Employee

You’ve probably had a coworker whom you enjoyed working with, and you’ve probably had a coworker who caused you to struggle. What was the difference between these two employees? The answer is professionalism. Dr. Ronald E. Riggio says that professional employees will be motivated, innovative, and dedicated (2011).

A professional will be motivated by both tangible measures of success as well as the satisfaction of a job well done (Riggio, 2011). This attitude translates to enthusiasm and a strong work ethic. Relief Jones states that these employees succeed in “improving morale and encouraging others around them to work hard as well” (2013).

Innovative employees will seek out opportunities to improve efficiency and benefit the company. They will take the initiative to invent creative solutions to issues that may arise. Dedication to the business will lead professional employees to work outside of their own job responsibilities to ensure the success of others and the company (Riggio, 2011). Professional people “work hard, learn quickly and aren't discouraged by setbacks” (Jones III, 2013). Innovation and dedication make these employees invaluable to the company.

            Take pride in the work you are doing and allow this to motivate so that you can be the coworker that others want to work with. Look for ways to increase efficiency and solve problems. Demonstrate your commitment to the company. In these ways, you can reflect professionalism daily in the workplace.

References

Jones III, R. (2013). 5 qualities of a good employee. Retrieved from San Antonio Eye Institure: http://www.saeyeinstitute.com/documents/good_employee.pdf

Riggio, D. R. (2011, August 9). Cutting-edge leadership: are you a high-potential professional. Retrieved from Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201108/are-you-high-potential-professional