Why do most museums use resin casts of dinosaur bones for displays rather than the actual bones?
Casts really tie the skeleton together. So casts are often made of the missing bones from another dinosaur skeleton of the same species, which helps fill in the gaps for the specimen who’s missing bits of its anatomy.
Are the fossils in the Natural History Museum real?
All of the fossils that we work on in FossiLab are real. The Last American Dinosaurs exhibit that surrounds the lab includes both real fossils and precise replicas of fossils.
Why do we put dinosaur fossils and casts on display?
While we try to show you the real thing whenever possible, there are some important considerations behind why we put both dinosaur fossils and casts on display. Fossils form over tens of thousands—up to hundreds of millions—of years. But fossils are rare since the conditions have to be right for them to form.
What makes a Good Dinosaur Museum?
Museums are generally good at flagging what is and is not real and some even include little keys to show which parts are made up of fossils and which from casts, or even ensure the two are very different colours. Even this beautifully preserved dinosaur has some ribs and toes missing.
Are dinosaur bones made from real fossils?
“Is that real?” This is a question we often hear from visitors as they roam the Field Museum, especially about dinosaur bones. And it’s a valid one: alongside fossil skeletons, we sometimes display casts, which are made from extremely accurate molds that are shaped directly from the fossils.
Why do we have T Rex and titanosaur at the Field Museum?
SUE the T. rexis an incredibly complete fossil, and Máximo the Titanosaur is a cast. Here’s why we have both. “Is that real?” This is a question we often hear from visitors as they roam the Field Museum, especially about dinosaur bones.