LordTrilobite Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 It has been a few years since I posted an update on my woolly rhino composite skeleton. Due to regulation change, not a whole lot of bones are fished out of the North Sea these days. So I haven't gotten many new bones in recent years. But last week I got a whole bunch of extra bones so I got the rhino out of the many boxes I have it stored in for the most time and so it's time for another progress update. For those who've missed my previous posts. I have been collecting wooly rhino (coelodonta antiquitatis) bones for over a decade now ever since I got a few leg bones for my birthday. One thing spiraled into another and before I knew it I was trying to make a complete skeleton. Almost all the bones are from the North Sea where only isolated bones are ever found. So none of the bones have any context, which is why a composite skeleton is the only option. Of course this brings it's own problems, besides spending years trying to find all the correct bones, but also getting bones that actually match nicely. So some bones aren't an exact match but every once in a while I replace bones that don't match that good with better ones. And by now I have just over a hundred bones plus change for the extra bones I have doubles for. The skeleton is quite massive. Woolly rhinos were around the same size as modern African rhinos. Carrying over a hundred rhino bones up and down the stairs was also a good workout The only bone that isn't real is the skull, which is a replica cast. Only two bones come from different locations, one from a quarry in the Netherlands and the other from Hungary. All the other bones come from the North Sea. The neck is complete and I'm only missing one dorsal vertebra. I've got a partial sacrum with the front missing. I don't have any tail vertebrae. I've got a few ribs but not nearly enough and two large hip fragments. I've got all the big long bones except for the fibulae and one shoulder blade. By now I've got the hands fairly complete. I've got all the wrist bones, all the metacarpals. The phalanges however are harder to get and I don't have any unguals. On the hind legs I now also recently got the kneecaps as well as a few missing ankle bones. I'm only missing two ankle bones on both feet. I got all the metatarsals and the phalanges here are a similar story, I have the first phalanges, and one of the second. But again, no unguals. A beautiful humerus that now replaced a less complete dinky humerus. Left front hand of the rhino and my right foot for scale. And lastly there's this really nice nasal fragment where the horn would attach in life. It's just a small fragment, but the preservation is really quite nice. Some of the sutures can also be seen really nicely. 19 Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Rico Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 Fantastic. really an astonishing project thank you for showing us. I don’t think I would have the room for a woolly rhino in my little house. wow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 Thanks! And well, I kinda don't have room for it Which is why I leave it in lots of boxes in my parents house most of the time. 1 Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB88 Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 Awesome! Its grown since last time! Where did you acquire the skull cast from, if you dont mind me asking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted July 6, 2018 Author Share Posted July 6, 2018 I got that skull replica as a present. Don't remember if it was christmas or another birthday. Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 An ambitious task, but you have done very well! Nice job! “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilsAnonymous Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 That's pretty cool. Are you going to keep it in boxes or assemble it like a museum? Because even though it's a little on the large side it is pretty complete. So cool to see this On The Hunt For The Trophy Otodus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Very nice! ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 VERY nice! Coelodonta antiquitatis was an impressive beast! You have done well to amass such a collection. -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 Looking good, excellent project to work on and probably not many in private collections. Are there shows you can attend to pick up the missing items? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimravis Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 That is really nice, I really like Woolly Rhinos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted July 7, 2018 Author Share Posted July 7, 2018 6 hours ago, Troodon said: Looking good, excellent project to work on and probably not many in private collections. Are there shows you can attend to pick up the missing items? Not really, I get everything locally here in the Netherlands. This most recent batch of bones I got from the guy from www.northseafossils.com Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welsh Wizard Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 That’s fantastic. It’s getting to the point where you can get a frame made to display it in a lifelike position. Thanks for showing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamL Posted July 7, 2018 Share Posted July 7, 2018 This is awesome! Yorkshire Coast Fossil Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digit Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 A very cool project and we anxiously await its completion someday. Cheers. -Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 Looks like a very ambitious project. You seem to be well on the way to completion too! Good fortunes in finding the rest. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siteseer Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 On July 6, 2018 at 3:32 PM, LordTrilobite said: Thanks! And well, I kinda don't have room for it Which is why I leave it in lots of boxes in my parents house most of the time. Lord Trilobite, I remember your posts and have wondered if you had made any progress recently. I have given myself a similar side project, assembling a composite skeleton of Allodesmus, an extinct relative of the sea lion (all remains from the Sharktooth Hill Bonebed). I don't have a skull nor even a replica, hardly any vertebrae, only rib fragments, but many limb elements and teeth. I understand the challenge of not only finding the missing bones but also ones that are good fits with what you already have and I certainly salute what you have achieved so far. Jess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatasaurus93 Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Excellent progress on this project! I don't post/log in too much, but I've browsed the site for years and remember seeing this in the early stages. Do you plan on constructing a mount for it some day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted July 13, 2018 Author Share Posted July 13, 2018 Thanks for the comments everyone! On 7/11/2018 at 9:49 AM, Meatasaurus93 said: Excellent progress on this project! I don't post/log in too much, but I've browsed the site for years and remember seeing this in the early stages. Do you plan on constructing a mount for it some day? I don't have a plan at the moment, nor do I have the space for a mounted woolly rhino. I'll worry about space later I guess Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordTrilobite Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 I got another of the bones scanned. Not the most spectacular bone, but definitely one of the more rare ones. It's generally the large bones that get fished up from the bottom of the sea. These smaller phalanges are rarely sold. Slowly but surely I'm working towards a complete digital woolly rhino. This bone can be seen in the first photo on the bottom right at the end of the middle toe. 1 Olof Moleman AKA Lord Trilobite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pagurus Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 That is an impressive project, Olof. A labor of love, I presume. Congratulations on the work you've done so far. Most impressive. Start the day with a smile and get it over with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantguy Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 What a fascinating and great project! Thanks for showing us the latest. Regards, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heavy_D Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Very awesome and ambitious project! Will definitely be watching for any further progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wahlberg Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 Great collection! nice to see all the bones so far laying on the ground. Big compliment for the way you collected and document the bones. The images etc helped me a lot in my quest and identification of my woolly rhino bones. Question: Do you know how to find information with decent images of the skeleton and especially the vertebra of the Woolly Rhino? it's a big trouble to find really good resources about the vertebra's and to linkt them to the woolly rhino and not other animals. even "specialists" sometimes mixed up the identification of the particular vertebra. success with finding the other puzzle "bones" pieces. Regards, Berni. Amsterdam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiseriKing Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 great What for programm you use for 3d? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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