How a Towering 75-Foot-Long, 150 Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Was Rebuilt

Scientists spent a decade excavating and reconstructing the skeleton of a 75-foot long dinosaur nicknamed “Gnatalie” that lived 150 million years ago in Utah.


The skeleton is comprised of bones from at least two individuals of the same species that were fossilized together. The exact species has not been identified yet.


The bones were dug up, sent to a lab for preparation to remove rocky material, and then reconstructed by a company called Research Casting International.


Reconstructing the skeleton was challenging as many vertebrae were crushed. Substitute bones were 3D printed and actual fossils displayed separately.


The process included cleaning bones, repairing damage, and using metal armatures and plaster to assemble the skeleton. Substitute pieces were also 3D printed and painted to match real bones.
The completed 5-ton skeleton reconstruction will be the centerpiece of a new wing at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles opening in November 2024. It represents 150 million years of fossilization and scientific reconstruction.

Source: Peta Pixel

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