ThePhysicist Posted July 26, 2021 Share Posted July 26, 2021 (edited) I was in the area, so I made a very brief stop by the HMNS. I'll state up-front that this will be extremely dino-centric. What I saw was really great, they have a chronologically-organized display of animals from stromatolites to humans (I only made it to the Cretaceous). The lighting is very dramatic, so seeing it in person is much better than the dark photos portray (I did edit a few of them to enhance visibility). Lots of dynamic posing which is nice compared to other museums. Also, most specimens aren't behind glass, and you can get really close. I believe most of the skeletons are casts (except for a couple of exceptional ones), but they're done well and don't disappoint. They currently have Victoria the T. rex as a traveling exhibit, although I think it has been recently moved and reduced in size to make room for the new traveling exhibit. She's one of the most complete individuals of T. rex and only slightly smaller than Sue (12' tall, 40' long, ~10.5 tons). Victoria was found in SD in 2013. She died sometime in her 20's (?), possibly from an infected bite on her lower jaw from another T. rex. Various elements: I think the feet aren't original. Coracoids, furcula, gastralia: Caudal vertebrae: Cervical vertebrae, some are fused: They had one of her femurs and her skull displayed separately: Edited July 26, 2021 by ThePhysicist 1 4 "Argumentation cannot suffice for the discovery of new work, since the subtlety of Nature is greater many times than the subtlety of argument." - Carl Sagan "I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." - Richard Feynman Collections: Hell Creek Microsite | Hell Creek/Lance | Dinosaurs | Sharks | Squamates | Post Oak Creek | North Sulphur River | Lee Creek | Aguja | Permian | Devonian | Triassic | Harding Sandstone Instagram: @thephysicist_tff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhysicist Posted July 26, 2021 Author Share Posted July 26, 2021 (edited) The skull is mostly complete with some bones apparently never preserved before (or as well) in a T. rex. It was really neat to get this close. I can't make out bite marks, I think they're more on the underside: Replacement teeth visible: Pterygoid and Vomer bones visible ("never seen before" in a T. rex): Edited July 26, 2021 by ThePhysicist 6 "Argumentation cannot suffice for the discovery of new work, since the subtlety of Nature is greater many times than the subtlety of argument." - Carl Sagan "I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." - Richard Feynman Collections: Hell Creek Microsite | Hell Creek/Lance | Dinosaurs | Sharks | Squamates | Post Oak Creek | North Sulphur River | Lee Creek | Aguja | Permian | Devonian | Triassic | Harding Sandstone Instagram: @thephysicist_tff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhysicist Posted July 27, 2021 Author Share Posted July 27, 2021 (edited) Now on to the main, permanent exhibit: Strelley Pool stromatolite: Banded Iron: Dimetrodon and model: Gorgonopsid: Rhamphorhynchus: Allosaurus (looks like "Big Al Two" cast from BHI): Stegosaurus ?armatus (very unusual pose, likely "Sarah" cast from BHI): Deinonychus antirrhopus: Acrocanthosaurus atokensis (probably BHI cast): Very blade-like teeth: T. rex ("Wyrex") and Denversaurus cf. schlessmani ("Tank" cast from BHI): Wyrex foot and hands (Wyrex has some of the best-preserved feet found, and best hands): T. rex ("Bucky"): Edmontosaurus annectens (juvenile and adult casts from BHI): Tylosaurus ?proriger: Edited July 27, 2021 by ThePhysicist Added more pictures + links (underlined) 2 4 "Argumentation cannot suffice for the discovery of new work, since the subtlety of Nature is greater many times than the subtlety of argument." - Carl Sagan "I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." - Richard Feynman Collections: Hell Creek Microsite | Hell Creek/Lance | Dinosaurs | Sharks | Squamates | Post Oak Creek | North Sulphur River | Lee Creek | Aguja | Permian | Devonian | Triassic | Harding Sandstone Instagram: @thephysicist_tff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhysicist Posted July 27, 2021 Author Share Posted July 27, 2021 (edited) Finally, there's "Lane" the Triceratops: (Archelon, Quetzalcoatlus, and a mammoth in the background.) Lane is one of the most complete individuals found, and has skin preserved: Negative: Positive: He was posed with what I'm assuming is a cast of T. rex Stan (didn't check to see "who" it was), in a face-off that likely didn't happen often in reality (blocked faces for privacy): That's all, folks. Hopefully, I'll be back to see the entire museum, because it deserves more than the time I spent. Hope you enjoyed! Edited July 27, 2021 by ThePhysicist 3 11 "Argumentation cannot suffice for the discovery of new work, since the subtlety of Nature is greater many times than the subtlety of argument." - Carl Sagan "I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." - Richard Feynman Collections: Hell Creek Microsite | Hell Creek/Lance | Dinosaurs | Sharks | Squamates | Post Oak Creek | North Sulphur River | Lee Creek | Aguja | Permian | Devonian | Triassic | Harding Sandstone Instagram: @thephysicist_tff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilus Posted July 27, 2021 Share Posted July 27, 2021 Nice photos! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristineR Posted July 28, 2021 Share Posted July 28, 2021 Thoroughly enjoyed your report. One photo has sent me on a cyber quest to view the impressions and petrified skin found on Lane. Thank you for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhysicist Posted July 28, 2021 Author Share Posted July 28, 2021 17 hours ago, Christine.Rowland said: Thoroughly enjoyed your report. One photo has sent me on a cyber quest to view the impressions and petrified skin found on Lane. Thank you for posting. Yes Lane is quite cool, I didn't know about the potential "bristles." 1 "Argumentation cannot suffice for the discovery of new work, since the subtlety of Nature is greater many times than the subtlety of argument." - Carl Sagan "I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." - Richard Feynman Collections: Hell Creek Microsite | Hell Creek/Lance | Dinosaurs | Sharks | Squamates | Post Oak Creek | North Sulphur River | Lee Creek | Aguja | Permian | Devonian | Triassic | Harding Sandstone Instagram: @thephysicist_tff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phos_01 Posted September 11, 2021 Share Posted September 11, 2021 Excellent photos thank you for sharing! I loved the first T-rex skull such an amazing find and preservation. Can only imagine what such a skull would be worth. I really feel they keep portraying the T-rex in a wrong position, way to much downwards running. While it would press out much too much weight on its legs, I only think he bowed down while he went eating or biting / drinking. I think he walked much more upwards, but hey just a thought. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhysicist Posted September 12, 2021 Author Share Posted September 12, 2021 17 hours ago, Phos_01 said: Excellent photos thank you for sharing! I loved the first T-rex skull such an amazing find and preservation. Can only imagine what such a skull would be worth. I really feel they keep portraying the T-rex in a wrong position, way to much downwards running. While it would press out much too much weight on its legs, I only think he bowed down while he went eating or biting / drinking. I think he walked much more upwards, but hey just a thought. Thanks, glad you enjoyed! That skull was definitely a highlight of the visit. As for posture, well for one thing, the display's possible positions are limited by the low ceiling. Second, if the tail is heavy enough, it acts as a counter-balance so that the net torque about the pelvis is less than you might be imagining. If you're curious about why scientists position T. rex in this way, I suggest reading on biomechanics - because there's a reason behind it, however unintuitive! "The Posture of Tyrannosaurus rex: Why Do Student Views Lag Behind the Science?" : https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1164225.pdf - one can also follow the references to get to the actual science the text refers to 4 "Argumentation cannot suffice for the discovery of new work, since the subtlety of Nature is greater many times than the subtlety of argument." - Carl Sagan "I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." - Richard Feynman Collections: Hell Creek Microsite | Hell Creek/Lance | Dinosaurs | Sharks | Squamates | Post Oak Creek | North Sulphur River | Lee Creek | Aguja | Permian | Devonian | Triassic | Harding Sandstone Instagram: @thephysicist_tff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDiggs Posted June 25, 2022 Share Posted June 25, 2022 Great photo's! Its not an easy exhibition hall to photograph. I've got some experience with HMNS and I can say yep, that's a cast of Stan facing down Lane. I always understood the two Edmontosaurs were original fossils even if they were composites and the mounts are pretty old school. the BHI link you included does indicate HMNS has the original juvenile specimen but the adult says its on display in Japan so I'll have to bug the curator about this at some point for clarification. "Dipsy" the diplodocus there is also an original fossil as well, for years the ribs were rubber casts but they replaced those with the originals a few years back. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhysicist Posted June 27, 2022 Author Share Posted June 27, 2022 On 6/25/2022 at 5:12 PM, CDiggs said: Great photo's! Its not an easy exhibition hall to photograph. I've got some experience with HMNS and I can say yep, that's a cast of Stan facing down Lane. I always understood the two Edmontosaurs were original fossils even if they were composites and the mounts are pretty old school. the BHI link you included does indicate HMNS has the original juvenile specimen but the adult says its on display in Japan so I'll have to bug the curator about this at some point for clarification. "Dipsy" the diplodocus there is also an original fossil as well, for years the ribs were rubber casts but they replaced those with the originals a few years back. Thanks for the correction, I think I read that about the Edmonto's sometime after the visit. Also, the Lane on display at the time of this visit was a replica - the original I believe was on a temporary display in China. "Argumentation cannot suffice for the discovery of new work, since the subtlety of Nature is greater many times than the subtlety of argument." - Carl Sagan "I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there." - Richard Feynman Collections: Hell Creek Microsite | Hell Creek/Lance | Dinosaurs | Sharks | Squamates | Post Oak Creek | North Sulphur River | Lee Creek | Aguja | Permian | Devonian | Triassic | Harding Sandstone Instagram: @thephysicist_tff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted August 12, 2022 Share Posted August 12, 2022 It's a fantastic museum. I visited 3-4 years ago. I liked the big phytosaur too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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