Hillsdale College Unveils First Real-Bone Dinosaur Skeleton
Hillsdale’s D. M. Fisk Museum of Natural History only the fourth museum in Michigan with real-bone dinosaur skeleton
Hillsdale, Mich. — Dr. Anthony Swinehart, Professor of Biology at Hillsdale College and the curator of the D. M. Fisk Museum of Natural History, recently unveiled Hillsdale’s first “real-bone” dinosaur skeleton. Hillsdale’s D. M. Fisk Museum becomes only the fourth in Michigan to house a real-bone dinosaur.
The specimen is an almost complete skeleton of a plant-eating, duck-billed dinosaur called Edmontosaurus Annectens. This species roamed the sub-tropical flood plain environments of what is now the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Montana between 66 million and 69 million years ago. The dinosaur was excavated by students and faculty members from Hillsdale College and the University of North Georgia.
“Approximately 40% of the bones of the dinosaur are real bone, including most of the largest bones such as the femurs, part of the pelvis, and much of the skull. Cast bones fill in the missing pieces,” said Swinehart. “Our museum is very fortunate to have a complete dinosaur skeleton comprised of so many real bones.”
Nicknamed “Linda” after amateur fossil hunter Linda Bergan, who found the bones protruding from a butte in South Dakota, the skeleton is mounted in a two-dimensional relief. The dinosaur specimen was supported by a gift from fellow dinosaur-enthusiast Darla Roberts.
“My students and I have participated in the excavation of several dinosaurs, including ‘Linda,’ over the years,” said Dr. Swinehart. “It is especially fulfilling to see their research and hard work represented in such a tangible way.”
Alongside “Linda,” the Fisk Museum contains thousands of biological, geological, and archaeological specimens and is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. More about the history of the Fisk Museum can be found here.
Hillsdale College student Matt Hoenig’s perspective on the excavation process can be read here.