NMNH scientists from the Department of Paleobiology and the Applied Morphometrics Laboratory seized a rare opportunity when, early in 1999, it became necessary to disassemble the Museum's Triceratops for the purpose of cleaning and massive conservation measures. This emergency permitted scanning of all the bones of the assembled skeleton prior to disassembly, in addition to doing so again while the disassembly was underway. The Smithsonian's Triceratops first went on exhibit in 1905, and had gone relatively unmodified since that time. This is alarming for a favorite dinosaur in the most popular exhibit in the Museum. Conservation needs were not the only reason to embark on this ambitious project.
Scientists can now correct some inaccuracies in the mounted fossil.
The bones in the original 1905 Triceratops mount were not from just one individual, but rather the mount was a composite of the bones of at least ten different animals. Unfortunately, these animals were of different sizes and from different places. There still is no known complete skeleton of Triceratops anywhere. Despite being a composite, not only did the Smithsonian have the first-ever mount of Triceratops in the world, but it still is one of the best examples of this horned dinosaur ever assembled. Advances in technology and in scientific interpretation now make it possible to correct shortcomings in the old mount while at the same time exploring new ideas about Triceratops , and acting to preserve the fossils themselves.