Donating My Lower Jurassic Dinosaur To A Museum

[Welsh Wizard]

Hi all

I posted a thread about a Lower Jurassic Dinosaur that me and my brother found last year. The link is here:

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/44778-have-we-found-a-lower-jurassic-dinosaur/

Well we are one step closer and the time has come to take it to the Museum. It's all packed up and ready to go as you can see from the pictures below:

Initially the dinosaur will be on loan, with plans to complete the donation and transfer of title later in the year along with the publication of a paper.

I feel quite emotional to be handing it over but I feel it belongs in a public museum rather than a private collection. Please note that I am 100% supportive of private collections as I've got one myself but due to its rarity, this felt too big a responsibility to keep in my house.

I promise that further pictures will follow later in the year

Regards

Nick

[Auspex]

A truly momentous find, and the date of sweet parting draws nigh; well done!

[Just Bob]

Kudos to you, sir!

[DeepTimeIsotopes]

Good move. It's nice to see experiences like this on the forum!

[fossilized6s]

Well done Nick! Congratulations once more, and thank you!

I totally agree with you. How would you even insure something that is priceless? Haha

[Ludwigia]

It's been very interesting following developments, Nick. Your joint venture with the museum is highly exemplary for the collaboration between amateurs and professionals. Well done at both ends.

[jpc]

Hooray for you. This is a great find, and it sounds like it is getting a new happy home. And please keep us posted, even if it takes years to publish it.

[Fossildude19]

Congratulations, Nick! And well done!

I know it must be difficult to let it go, but in the end, it is something that should be enjoyed by all.

I applaud your stewardship of this fossil.

Regards,

[JohnJ]

It's your fossil to decide about as you choose; but I like the course of your thinking on this one. The research will provide you with information about your find that you might not have ever had the chance to learn.

[paleoflor]

Really nice! Very good news. Congratulations!

[Welsh Wizard]

And into the Museum it goes:

Front of Museum

The Museum is overlooked by another Welsh Dragon atop of City Hall

Down in the storage rooms

Placed onto storage shelf

Next step is to repack into proper storage boxes rather than my banana boxes and then look to X-Ray a couple of the blocks

Nick

[Fossildude19]

Awesome!

Regards,

[Carl]

Bravo bravo bravo!!! This is the kind of story we all need to laud and spread so both "sides" can forever benefit from our significantly overlapping passions!

Edited February 24, 2015 by Carl

[FossilDAWG]

Congratulations, and thanks for recognizing the importance of this specimen, all the work you put into it, and then selflessly making it available for all to learn from by donating it. Moving from discovery to publication so quickly is really remarkable, though I know it has seemed slow to you at times, and is a testament to the significance of the find. I hope you will let us all know when the paper is published.

Don

[Down under fossil hunter]

I can't wait to see the paper on it!

Well done to you and your brother.

[Welsh Wizard]

Thanks guys

Focus is on 9th June. Watch this space. You heard it here first.

Nick

[sseth]

Fantastic. It will further knowledge for everyone.

[aplomado]

Very generous!

[Welsh Wizard]

Thanks Sseth and Aplomado

Cladistics have been re-run. I've also just received a shadow outline with bones filled in and a person for scale. The exhibition is coming along and we've contracted someone to do a paleo-reconstruction.

I'm beginning to feel like an amateur Palaeontologist. Now I'm dangerous!

Nick

[Auspex]

...I'm beginning to feel like an amateur Palaeontologist...

The phrase is Avocational Paleontologist, and you are assuredly one!

[Down under fossil hunter]

I can't remember if you already told us Nick but this would have to be one of the most complete theropods discovered in the U.K. right?

[Welsh Wizard]

No not the most complete. I'm not sure how youd calculate.

There's maybe as much as eotyrrannus?

Nick

[Welsh Wizard]

Hi yall

Two months to go until the exhibition opens.

We are now on draft 2 of the fleshed out artist's reconstruction. It's fascinating watching it come together and see how it's built up from a pencil sketch based on bone measurements. It's really starting to come to life.

Nick

[Ludwigia]

:popcorn:

Edited April 3, 2015 by Ludwigia

[fossilized6s]

Thanks for the update Nick. Can't wait to meet it.

Edited April 3, 2015 by fossilized6s