Los Angeles herald., 1905-04-02
fdHS tCR. TIaSNSPCESKIIcN
BY Walter 1. BeasIey
n RoF. HENRY FAIRFIELD OS-
BORN, curator Of the department

i BORN, curator Of the department
of vertebrate paleontology Of the
American Museum of Natural History,
who planned and directed the mount
ling of the skeleton of the gigantic
'dnosaur- -brontosaurus recently uncov-
cred to public view, has accomplished
an epoch making task and presented
one Of the most noteworthy contribu-
tions to science ever made in this
Icountry.
For the first time the world now has
10 vivid glimpse of the actual size and
appearance of the mighty and un-
familiar beasts who roamed the pri-
lmeval marshes and lagoons of our
western continent and other parts of
the globe some 100000 to 100000
years ago. Charles r. Knight has pro-
duced model in clay under the direc-
Ition Of Prof. Osborn which Is consid-
cred an ideal and perfect representa-
tion Of the ancient creature in life.
This is seen under the mounted skele-
ton. Mr.. Knight is recognized as the
leading authority on the restoration Of
extinct life.
The brontosaurus was one Of the
largest animals that ever lived and
walked on four legs, being nearly 67
feet long, 151s feet high and weighing
80 tons. The head, only 26 inches long,
was not found, and has been partly re-
produced by the knowledge gained
from other specimens, especially from
the skull of related form called
'morosaurus, of which nearly perfect
example was obtained from previous
explorations. Some other missing parts
have been supplied from skeleton In
the Yale museum which equals this one
in size, but which the Yale authorities
have not yet been able to mount, prin-
cipally for lack of space in their halls.
The length of the tail was 81 feet o
inches, the neck II feet. The cavity of
the body equalled that of the average
fiat kitchen, having space for a table
around which family of six persons
easily ride abreast between the front
and hind legs. A footprint would nearly
have covered a square yard of earth,
while head and tail would protrude
beyond the length of two Broadway
street cars. In height it would have
lowered above two elephants
AS fossil find it surpasses all others
in existence, while the difficult en-
gineering points embodied in its struc-
ture are a archaeological triumph, es-
tablishing a new process for heavy
fossil mounting. Hitherto no institu-
tion has ever attempted to mount a
complete fossil skeleton of such enorm-
Gus proportions, although dinosaur
skeletons of smaller size have been
mounted in the Brussels and Yale mu-
seums. Future scientists here and
abroad will have to pattern after Prof.
Osborns great masterpiece, which is
destined to stand as a fitting monu-
ment to the superior knowledge, skill
and technique possessed by this ardent
and scholarly paleontologist
AS an educational feature it is un-
rivalled, being far more impressive to
young and old than volumes of dry
text books. No exhibit has ever before
started and created such widespread
interest in public and scientific circles
as has this strange and mighty repre-
sentative of the past. The time en-
ployed in the preparation Of this Won
der of wonders for exhibition is aston
ishing Extracting the lengthy crea-
ture's form from the rock matrix,
patching up and restoring fragmentary
and missing parts in the laboratory
and constructing and putting together
the massive bones of the body in their
final state have consumed the atten-
tion of Prof. Osborn and his staff of
able assistants for seven years.
Prof. Osborn. in furthering an ideal
project to present in his halls a COM
plete history of animal life on the
North American continent, organized a
series of fossil expeditions to explore
certain fields in the west. The aim of
these researches was to investigate the
geological deposits associated with the
age of reptiles, dating, according to
eStlllldlc, three 10 LWSlNc HlllllOil years
back. to search for the remains of the
great dinosaurs. five types of which
fourished during the reptilian age.
Chief among these were the water liv-
ing monsters, cetiosaurs, so named
from the Greek words meaning ''whale
lizard" owing to the fact that their
outward appearance, long limbs, neck
and tail resembled an enormous lizard,
to which class they are remotely re-
lated, while the size approaches that Of
a whale. They were the largest animals
that ever trod the earth. and we're the
absolute monarehs of the antique
world OF their day.
As the pioneer collectors, Professors
Marsh and Cope had previously made
many interesting discoveries in certain