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ABSTRACT: Impact of The New Dinosaur on Museum Exhibits

Kenneth Carpenter

The past 15 to 20 years has seen a drastic change in our concepts of dinosaur biology and anatomy. This has resulted in a renewed interest by the public in dinosaurs. Unfortunately, museums of natural history, which were once the forerunners of dinosaur information to the public, have lagged behind in presenting The New Dinosaur. In many museums skeletons stand rigidly, trophies of ancient creatures "bagged" by the paleontologist. In recent years, however, several museums have tried innovative approaches to presenting dinosaurs as living creatures. This break from tradition has required the dismantling of previously mounted skeletons, and their remounting in new poses that attempt to capture dinosaurs as dynamic creatures.

Drawing from several lines of evidence, The New Dinosaur is a sleek, active creature, with a complex social behavior approaching that of birds. This includes herding and parental care of the young.

The evidence is drawn from reanalysis of previously collected dinosaur skeletons, new skeletons, footprints and trackways, biomechanical analysis of joints, wear pattern of teeth, and X-ray and CAT scan of bones.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #91002©1990 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section Meeting, Denver, Colorado, September 16-19, 1990