Fossil Realm Magazine

Willard - possibly the largest Triceratops prorsus skeleton ever found - spans 28 feet long and 11.8 feet high. Credit: Diego Mattarelli

Have you ever wondered how a dinosaur skeleton ends up in a museum or public exhibition? Who discovers and digs up the bones? How are the bones stabilized and prepared? And what process is used to restore the missing parts and, eventually, assemble the finished specimen? Read on to find out more about Willard —an astounding fossilized Triceratops prorsus skeleton recently unearthed in the badlands of North Dakota -possibly the world’s largest example of the species ever found!



Dr. Chris McKay in Antarctica. Source: NASA

How life originated is one of the deepest mysteries of science - this profound question has perplexed humankind for thousands of years. Now, in the twenty-first century, astrobiologists and other scientists have the tools to investigate it; yet, it remains extremely challenging to answer. 

The shocking discovery of a Cretaceous toothed bird preserved in Burmese amber has made headlines around the world. The 99-million year old hatchling is the best-preserved specimen of its kind: features such as eyelids, ear openings and even feather pigmentation remain. The specimen expands our understanding of early feathers and sheds light on the anatomy, development and lifestyle of a major group of Mesozoic birds, the Enantiornithes, which lived alongside the dinosaurs.