Seattle, WN - Paleontologist Kirk Johnson and artist Ray Troll showcase an art and fossil exhibit full of dinosaurs, ammonites and trilobites at University of Washington's Burke Museum. The exhibit, "Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway," runs through May 31, 2010. Millions of years ago, prehistoric beasts roamed Washington. And starting today until May, the Burke Museum showcases the traces they left behind.

"Most people don't realize that there are fossils everywhere," said paleontologist Kirk Johnson. "The joy of finding one is in this exhibit."

Johnson and artist Ray Troll drove 5,000 miles across the American West, from Denver to Washington state, finding fossils. They document their travels in the book, "Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway."

The Burke Museum matched the best scenes from the book with its own fossils. There are more than 30 specimens on display, along with five murals and 20 framed paintings. Troll also drew a map of Washington, with 472 images marking where these creatures once ruled. For example, the remains of a 12-foot giant ground sloth were discovered at SeaTac while the airport was going through renovations.

There are also shelled critters — ammonites and trilobites — along with fossilized plants and an early relative of the T-Rex, the Albertosaurus. In addition, the exhibit compares the modern and prehistoric versions of leaves, fish, mammals and birds.

"It's science and art mixed all together," said Elizabeth Nesbitt, Burke Museum curator of invertebrate paleontology. "I actually use Ray's pictures when I teach students. ... He makes the pictures fun, but they are totally accurate."

Case in point — his picture of shelled Didymoceras' dancing over a sleeping couple, like sugarplum fairies. Troll also incorporates the subject he's best known for — fish — with a picture of a saber-toothed salmon swimming with other toothy animals like a cat and rhino. A portrait of Johnson is added to the mix, and a cheeseburger.

"People know me for the fish stuff, but it all started with dinosaurs," said Troll, who lives in Ketchikan, Alaska. "For me, they were my first love in life. At the age of 4, I picked up a crayon and dinosaurs were what I wanted to draw. Here I am 50 years later, and I'm still drawing dinosaurs."

Troll met Johnson at another one of the artist's Burke Museum exhibits in 1993, about the ocean. Johnson, chief curator of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, was a fan, and the two became fast friends. In addition to the book, they recorded a set of songs about fossils, which will be played (without the words) during the exhibition. Like Troll's drawings, the music is wacky — there's a heavy-metal anthem devoted to prehistoric killer pigs and a rap single about mammals.

"I hope the artwork is engaging enough that people are drawn into it and come away with a sense of wonder for the natural world," said Johnson. "I want to draw you into some goofy, some fairly serious, fascinating stuff."

Over the years Ray has done artwork for various conservation organizations including the Sierra Club, Greenpeace and the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council.

By Marian Liu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   / Visit the University of Washington's Burke Museum at :www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/