Several dinosaur bones from the Earth Science Museum at Brigham Young University were seen last summer at Dino-lympics '97, a gigantic dinosaur exposition in Japan. The museum leased several bones for the Dino-lympics which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation of Japan. Stadtman lent two scapula from the Supersaurus and Ultrasaurus dinosaurs, along with femur bones from three other big sauropods to the company for the exposition. Stadtman said he was willing to lend the bones to Yomiuri because they were offering to pay a lease fee, which would bring much needed money to the museum. Along with the lease fee, Stadtman insisted that the bones be well insured.
Any museum is reluctant to let original bones leave the museum.
One reason Stadtman finally decided to lend the originals is because the Earth Science Museum was not the only museum loaning original bone. Our collection is important to the history of dinosaurs. In May 1995, Japan borrowed bones for the Flower Festival in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The exhibit ended with the signing of an agreement of cooperation between BYU's Earth Science Museum and the Gifu Prefectural Museum in Japan. While in Japan, Stadtman was involved in the agreement signing, a friendship tree-planting ceremony, lectures and a reception.