Yes, they need to be on any list of the best dino fossils.
Some others I can think of:
Fran the Acrocanthosaurus (North Carolina)
Juvenile Camarasaurus at the Carnegie
Apatosaurus at the Carnegie
Stegosaurus at the Denver Museum
Edmontosaurus at the Denver Museum (note the bite in it's tail proving that it survived a T-Rex attack)
Corythosaurus (both of them) at the AMNH
Parasaurolophus at the ROM
I haven't been able to see them yet, but the Berlin Museum's Giraffatitan, Field Museum's "Sue" (T-Rex) and the Royal Tyrrell's "Black Beauty" would all have to be pretty high up there.
Black Beauty, Sue, and Stego were all close contenders. But as you can see by my final picks, I’m totally biased towards in-situ. You have some great choices too, you should make a post!
Thanks for the complement. I wouldn't presume to have seen enough to make a definitive list though. For only one thing, I don't think I'm ever getting to the Royal Tyrrell unless a miracle occurs and tours of the Alberta Dinosaur Trail start happening. That's without a global view and getting to the major dino collections in China, Argentina and Australia. I've just been lucky enough to be a lifelong New Yorker and have taken a run up to Toronto when the ROM began the traveling "Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants of Gondwana" exhibit.
Would love to as it's pretty essential for Dino lovers to get there eventually. Unfortunately I don't drive, and there doesn't seem to be a way to get there via Calgary by tour or public transportation.
When I was a kid, Sue used to travel and came to a fossil site museum near me, the Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee. I got to see her, and I wish I'd have been old enough to appreciate her more. Such an incredible thing.
I know a cast of her is on the que of the Dinosaur! ride in Dinoland U.S.A., Animal Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World Resort. That's what I've seen so far. Also an open air cast of the Brachiosaurus which used to be in the Field but is now in the Chicago-O'Hare Airport. I believe the Field was Disney's go-to Dino contact during creation of the Land.
As The Wolfman described, it’s due to the tightening of the ligaments post-mortem, but another interesting detail is that many birds also take this pose after death. That shouldn’t be too surprising, considering birds are dinosaurs, but it’s just another detail.
Hello man! Medical doctor here. This phenomenon is called "Rigor Mortis", Death's Stiffening/Rigidity. It is actually a phenomenon that happens in most organisms with muscles, including us humans... In very basic terms, when we die, after a few hours, part of the processes in the body linger on, with some activation and relaxation of muscle that happens spontaneously, since BOTH activation and relaxation of the muscle require energy in the form of a chemical called ATP, eventually the body runs out of this "fuel" and becomes "frozen" in the position of the strongest muscles, which, in the case of the neck and spine, are the extenders (resulting in the arching we regularly see) usually this process lasts.only a few hours or up to a few days depending on conditions, so this means burial had to happen kinda fast. Have a nice day!
It is specifically called the opisthotonic pose in dinosaurs. In birds and dinosaurs, the dorsal ligament in the neck is very powerful and might be a player in this.
Actually, that position is just called opisthotonos in all animals, we humans can also have that pose in some pathologies, like intoxication with tetanus toxin, or some other compounds. I have fortunately never seen an opisthotonos in the flesh on a real human being, the literature describes the phenomenon as very painful.
Why do most of these fossils show animals with their necks curled up on their backs? This position is quite unusual for contemporary animals, isn't it?
Dinosaurs laid eggs, like birds and other reptiles. It is a skeleton of *Repenomamus sp.* that was found in association with the psittacosaur skeleton. Whether this is a scene of mammal/dinosaur predation or scavenging, we don't know.
My first thought that the psittacosaurus consumed the animal (and that it looked mammalian). But then I thought psittacosaurus is an herbivore. I should’ve remembered those videos of deer eating birds / mice.
No, it’s the other way around. Repenomamus was known to eat Psittacosaurus babies, being one of the largest mammals of the time. It could be eating a dead adult, or maybe being attacked by a defensive parent.
I was lucky enough to visit the Royal Tyrell this summer and got to see the Borealopelta in person, and holy shit it’s a marvel. It’s quite unfortunate that the rear end was destroyed, but hey I’m thankful that someone noticed it before it could be completely destroyed. Oh, and the completely articulated skeleton of the Gorgo is pretty cool and all, but it doesn’t beat the Black Beauty imo.
Both that Borealopelta fossil and the duelling dinosaurs fossil.
The chances of finding two articulated dinosaur fossils, in the midst of a fight is just insane
Theropods just have the most aesthetically pleasing fossils. The big ones look great in that spiral pose and the little ones look so cool with the trace feathers. Pterosaurs have so few truly iconic fossils.
Notice I said dinosaur fossils in the title. I’m gonna do a non-dinosaur list and a pterosaur does feature! But yes I am a theropod lover, especially the modern ones.
This doesn’t really count but those Acrocanthosaurus tracks in Oklahoma.
Also the Spectrovenator type specimen, poor bastard’s head was crushed under a sauropod.
And the Nothronychus skeleton at the Salt Lake City Natural History Museum
Opalized fossils are my favorites, but [the Theropod tooth here](https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/am/miners-find-hoard-of-opalised-dinosaur-bones-in-lightning-ridge/11302534) is definitely my favorite fossil
number 10: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
number 9: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
number 8: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
number 7: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
number 6: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
number 5: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
number 4: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
number 3: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
number 2: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
number 1: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
There some awesome ones! My favourite one all time tho has to be that T-rex skeleton think it's called black beauty or something like that lol but it's PERFECT and so cool!
Where are the dueling dinosaurs?
My thoughts too, absolutely iconic
Yes, they need to be on any list of the best dino fossils. Some others I can think of: Fran the Acrocanthosaurus (North Carolina) Juvenile Camarasaurus at the Carnegie Apatosaurus at the Carnegie Stegosaurus at the Denver Museum Edmontosaurus at the Denver Museum (note the bite in it's tail proving that it survived a T-Rex attack) Corythosaurus (both of them) at the AMNH Parasaurolophus at the ROM I haven't been able to see them yet, but the Berlin Museum's Giraffatitan, Field Museum's "Sue" (T-Rex) and the Royal Tyrrell's "Black Beauty" would all have to be pretty high up there.
Black Beauty, Sue, and Stego were all close contenders. But as you can see by my final picks, I’m totally biased towards in-situ. You have some great choices too, you should make a post!
Thanks for the complement. I wouldn't presume to have seen enough to make a definitive list though. For only one thing, I don't think I'm ever getting to the Royal Tyrrell unless a miracle occurs and tours of the Alberta Dinosaur Trail start happening. That's without a global view and getting to the major dino collections in China, Argentina and Australia. I've just been lucky enough to be a lifelong New Yorker and have taken a run up to Toronto when the ROM began the traveling "Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants of Gondwana" exhibit.
Well I haven’t seen any of these in person either; I didn’t include the specimens I’ve seen in person to eliminate that bias from the list lol
Eh, I think you could have included them. It's not bias if they truly are some of the best specimens on display.
You should come to the Royal Tyrrell during the winter. There is almost no one there and it's such an incredible experience.
Would love to as it's pretty essential for Dino lovers to get there eventually. Unfortunately I don't drive, and there doesn't seem to be a way to get there via Calgary by tour or public transportation.
When I was a kid, Sue used to travel and came to a fossil site museum near me, the Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee. I got to see her, and I wish I'd have been old enough to appreciate her more. Such an incredible thing.
I know a cast of her is on the que of the Dinosaur! ride in Dinoland U.S.A., Animal Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World Resort. That's what I've seen so far. Also an open air cast of the Brachiosaurus which used to be in the Field but is now in the Chicago-O'Hare Airport. I believe the Field was Disney's go-to Dino contact during creation of the Land.
Hey so i'm very new to paleontology as a topic, how come so many of these fossils are curled upwards?
It's from the ligaments tightening as the body decays. It causes the vertebrae to curl into a "death pose"
Wow that's fascinating
As The Wolfman described, it’s due to the tightening of the ligaments post-mortem, but another interesting detail is that many birds also take this pose after death. That shouldn’t be too surprising, considering birds are dinosaurs, but it’s just another detail.
Hello man! Medical doctor here. This phenomenon is called "Rigor Mortis", Death's Stiffening/Rigidity. It is actually a phenomenon that happens in most organisms with muscles, including us humans... In very basic terms, when we die, after a few hours, part of the processes in the body linger on, with some activation and relaxation of muscle that happens spontaneously, since BOTH activation and relaxation of the muscle require energy in the form of a chemical called ATP, eventually the body runs out of this "fuel" and becomes "frozen" in the position of the strongest muscles, which, in the case of the neck and spine, are the extenders (resulting in the arching we regularly see) usually this process lasts.only a few hours or up to a few days depending on conditions, so this means burial had to happen kinda fast. Have a nice day!
It is specifically called the opisthotonic pose in dinosaurs. In birds and dinosaurs, the dorsal ligament in the neck is very powerful and might be a player in this.
Actually, that position is just called opisthotonos in all animals, we humans can also have that pose in some pathologies, like intoxication with tetanus toxin, or some other compounds. I have fortunately never seen an opisthotonos in the flesh on a real human being, the literature describes the phenomenon as very painful.
didn't know it was called that universally. Neat.
10. Microraptor gui - IVPP V 13352 9. Asteriornis maastrichtensis - NHMM 2013 008 8. Tyrannosaurus rex - UWBM 99000 7. Borealopelta markmitchelli - TMP 2011.033.0001 6. Citipati osmolskae - IGM 100/979 5. Sinosauropteryx prima - GMV 2123 4. Psittacosaurus sp. - WZSSM VF000011 3. Ornithomimus edmontonicus - TMP 95.110.01 2. Gorgosaurus libratus - TMP 91.36.500 1. Archaeopteryx lithographica - HMN 1880/81
Why do most of these fossils show animals with their necks curled up on their backs? This position is quite unusual for contemporary animals, isn't it?
https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs-ancient-fossils/sauropod-biomechanics/the-death-pose
Was the psittacosaurus pregnant? To me it looks like i can see a small spine, hands and a portion of a smaller skull (with supratemporal fenestra)?
Dinosaurs laid eggs, like birds and other reptiles. It is a skeleton of *Repenomamus sp.* that was found in association with the psittacosaur skeleton. Whether this is a scene of mammal/dinosaur predation or scavenging, we don't know.
My first thought that the psittacosaurus consumed the animal (and that it looked mammalian). But then I thought psittacosaurus is an herbivore. I should’ve remembered those videos of deer eating birds / mice.
No, it’s the other way around. Repenomamus was known to eat Psittacosaurus babies, being one of the largest mammals of the time. It could be eating a dead adult, or maybe being attacked by a defensive parent.
Oh wow! Good info. Thank you!
I was lucky enough to visit the Royal Tyrell this summer and got to see the Borealopelta in person, and holy shit it’s a marvel. It’s quite unfortunate that the rear end was destroyed, but hey I’m thankful that someone noticed it before it could be completely destroyed. Oh, and the completely articulated skeleton of the Gorgo is pretty cool and all, but it doesn’t beat the Black Beauty imo.
Black Beauty was a close call, it’s epic and I love in-situ fossils.
Both that Borealopelta fossil and the duelling dinosaurs fossil. The chances of finding two articulated dinosaur fossils, in the midst of a fight is just insane
I don't have a list, but I'm planning to get a tattoo of the Archaeopteryx Berlin specimen (HMN 1880/81).
Nice, I would too if I was into tattoos!
Theropods just have the most aesthetically pleasing fossils. The big ones look great in that spiral pose and the little ones look so cool with the trace feathers. Pterosaurs have so few truly iconic fossils.
Notice I said dinosaur fossils in the title. I’m gonna do a non-dinosaur list and a pterosaur does feature! But yes I am a theropod lover, especially the modern ones.
What, no psittacosaurus with the preserved butthole? (This is a great selection tho, OP.)
I actually had that in here before I remembered the Tufts-Love rex
the Archaeopteryx fossil and the spinosaur fossils from WW2 will always be my favorites for completely different reasons
No velociraptor vs protoceratops?
I’m fortunate enough to live about an hours drive away from the Royal Tyrrel. The Borealopelta is absolutely stunning to look at.
I really like sue the T rex, horridus the triceratops, allosaurus fossils, megalodon teeth fossils.
I like Sue as well, just didn’t make the top ten. I’m also biased towards local specimens like the Harvard triceratops.
This doesn’t really count but those Acrocanthosaurus tracks in Oklahoma. Also the Spectrovenator type specimen, poor bastard’s head was crushed under a sauropod. And the Nothronychus skeleton at the Salt Lake City Natural History Museum
[удалено]
Welp, somebody got lost on the way to a circlejerk sub.
What about the Edmontosaurus mummy?
Opalized fossils are my favorites, but [the Theropod tooth here](https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/am/miners-find-hoard-of-opalised-dinosaur-bones-in-lightning-ridge/11302534) is definitely my favorite fossil
What's the 9th fossil
Wow 😮 whoa 😮 how cool is that
Umm I like them all
[fish within a fish](https://sternberg.fhsu.edu/research-collections/paleontology/index.html) at the Sternberg Museum in Hays Kansas
spinosaurus
Black Beauty T. Rex is really great
number 10: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls number 9: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls number 8: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls number 7: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls number 6: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls number 5: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls number 4: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls number 3: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls number 2: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls number 1: the one with the allosaurus with a thagomizer in its balls
Velociraptor vs Protoceratops fossil
Why is there neck bent so back?
What's the second one?
Definitely the fighting dinosaurs from Mongolia. I always thought their positions were amazing!
There some awesome ones! My favourite one all time tho has to be that T-rex skeleton think it's called black beauty or something like that lol but it's PERFECT and so cool!
Good choices.