Museum Displays

[Mike from North Queensland]

Here is somthing to ponder on when visiting a museum.

Are the fossil specimens in the large museums that are on display real fossils or life size models of the bones or a mixture?

Then when the bones are real are they from one animal or is it a composite of several animals?

[Auspex]

"Yes" to all the above.

[Prehistoria]

Usually the information sheet/sign/whatever for a particular specimen will mention whether it is a cast, and/or show which parts are which.

Edited July 29, 2012 by IDigDinos

[erose]

Usually the information sheet/sign/whatever for a particular specimen will mention whether it is a cast, and/or show which parts are which.

Different museums seem to do a better job with this than others.

[siteseer]

Mike,

It depends on the specimen. Museum people want to display large skeletons while also making the supporting structures as unobtrusive as possible. These days, I think the average large dinosaur skeleton is composed of some real bones and some casts - even the ones known from rather abundant remains. Many dinosaurs were described based on incomplete skeletons (or even relatively few bones and teeth) so their displayed skeletons are certainly composites from various individuals.

A well-made, well-painted cast is just as good for display purposes and it leaves the actual fossil available for study. Casts also allow more than one museum to display the same (popular or rare) specimen.

Jess

Here is somthing to ponder on when visiting a museum.

Are the fossil specimens in the large museums that are on display real fossils or life size models of the bones or a mixture?

Then when the bones are real are they from one animal or is it a composite of several animals?

[Missourian]

In my opinion (if it's worth anything ), if real and cast pieces are mixed, the fake pieces should be obvious.

[Missourian]

.... And if it's all cast, then it should look real, and be stated that it is artificial.

[erose]

I've not seen this in person, but a friend years ago told me about how the skeletons at Dinosaur National Monument (USA) were presented as natural bone. That is to say the casts were painted white like fresh bone, not brown, black or sienna. I could only find one example photo and it is an interesting display showing just the bones they found and a bit of an overall form to give them some context. I have no idea what the text panel says in explanation.

[Auspex]

Bearing in mind that the purpose of museum displays is to engage and entertain the public, vs serious scientific researchers, I have no problem whatsoever with the use of hi-fidelity casts and replicas; such exhibits can be far more enthralling!

[Down under fossil hunter]

Hi Mike,

I am lucky enough to work at your local museum (if you can call Brisbane local) and I am sad to say that almost everything there is a cast only.

When visiting museums in Australia and Europe I have used the rule of thumb 'If you can touch it, chances are it is not real'.

If you are interested in REAL fossils as I am sure most of us on this forum are I have found that if you ring ahead you can sometimes get a tour of the "Vault" and look at the real fossils that these cast are based on.

Try not to laugh though when they ask what grade you are in at school and you tell them you are 28 and there is a long pause at the other end of the phone

I don't know if it is still set up but for the past year they have had the real skeleton of Minmi paravertebra and some almost complete legs of Diamantinasaurus and I think Rhoetosaurus which are very impressive.

Cheers

Elliot

[Mike from North Queensland]

My own preference for displays are the actual bones that were found. In the past I have visited museums and only got to see replicas with a story board and if that is what I was after I could have googled it and stayed at home. The reasoning is that a real fossil to me can inspire us to want to find better and more complete specimens. Then the museum can place a replica of what the animal is assumed to look like next to it. I also like the display that erose sent the photo of as it shows the bones that were found and then shows the outline of the stegasaur. We recognise the animal from books we read as children and our imagination fills in the rest.

I was lucky to be in Richmond Queensland a few months back where the skeleton of the Richmond Pliosaur was put on what I hope to be a permanant display. This is one of the few almost complete skeletons to be found of an animal that died 100 million years ago and above it the curator had made and hung a life size replica. To me this is the best display concept, showing what was actualy found and what it would have looked like.

[Terry Dactyll]

You would expect displays of 'local' fossil material would be of most interest to the 'local' public but what seems to get people through the door is big dino casts... most people take their children for a day out at the museum so perhaps many museums cater for this and our personal specialist needs and wants are only a fraction of the actual museum foot traffic...as suggested above ^ ...a tour of the vaults is usually easy to arrange... I have been in a few looking at upper carboniferous fossils...

[erose]

The design of exhibits is usually a process that involves all sorts of issues. The team will often be made up of both educators and scientists as well as visitor service, marketing and of course the exhibit designers* themselves. And if it works well they all come together to develop educational and experiential goals and then all is put in perspective by budget/time constraints. It can also be totally ad hoc and scatter shot.

Earlier in my career (late 80's) I worked on a major new natural history museum in the southeastern USA. We (the design firm) worked extra hard to make sure they were going to be current and even ground-breaking in what was displayed. We didn't want fossils of different ages sitting directly next to each other without explanation and we wanted to make sure the fossils were relevant to the state (Georgia) we were in. Many meetings, stacks of drawings and tomes of content were developed and approved. On my last visit before fabrication began I found a staff member copying pictures of dinos, marine reptiles and other critters from all parts of the Mesozoic and earlier! When asked what was that about I was told that "Dr. So and So" (who BTW was a physicist) had picked all his "favorites" for the final murals and dioramas and was throwing out almost all the research. Let's just say that as both an exhibit designer and fossil enthusiast I could not have been more upset.

* that's me, what I do.

[ghost1066]

I understand that folks can be a bit let down when they find out that all of the bones aren't real but casts do allow the real bones to be better protected. Having said that I still like to see the real ones but will take the casts since I worked making molds and resin copies and know they are accurate.