This year’s dazzling 13-foot holiday tree, themed New Beginnings, celebrates the spectacular variety of species that evolved after an asteroid impact ended the age of dinosaurs some 66 million years ago. Among the more than 1,000 origami pieces are dinosaurs and other extinct reptiles—pterosaurs that ruled the skies, mosasaurs and plesiosaurs that roamed the seas, as well as Triceratops and T. rex, which walked the Earth during the Cretaceous Period.The tree also includes an array of mammals and insects that evolved after the asteroid impact.

These new mammals include ancestors of the Museum’s iconic Blue Whale, as well as our primate ancestors. Look for birds, too—dinosaurs living among us today.

Explore more about the asteroid’s impact on the planet in the Museum’s new exhibition, Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs. Look also for the spectacular Stegosaurus named Apex in its new home on the fourth floor.

Produced in partnership with OrigamiUSA, the Origami Holiday Tree is delightfully decorated with hand-folded paper models created by local, national, and international origami artists. Learn more about the making of the Origami Holiday Tree and find out how to make your own origami models!