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I.
Inside the head of T. rex
Remarkably,
the skull of the type specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex —
arguably the most famous of all dinosaurs — has never been
scientifically studied. Shortly after the first skeleton of this
large predator was collected by the famous dinosaur hunter Barnum
Brown in 1902, its skull and skeleton were reconstructed for exhibit
at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The  skeleton
was sold to Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 1942.
Unlike
most dinosaur specimens on exhibit in Dinosaur Hall, the skull of
T. rex is, for the most part, sculpted out of plaster and
contains only a few original bones and teeth. Later discoveries
of more complete skulls of this dinosaur show that this reconstruction
is incorrect. Therefore, the skull will now be carefully dismantled
by experienced preparators to expose, clean, and conserve the original
bones and teeth, which, for the first time, will be studied by paleontologists.
After this study has been completed, the bones and teeth will be
inserted into a new reconstruction based on the more complete skulls
of T. rex that have been discovered since 1902.
Next page: Preparation |
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