Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-21
FIND SEVEN TON REPTILE
Fossilized Skeleton of a Monster
100000 Years Old on View
in Washington.
DISCOVERED IN COLORADO

bAnOON Ln1AO AN OOhOhhOO
WASHINGTON, Feb 2O.-Between 1000
200 and 100000 years ago. in what is
known as the Jurassic age, there lived a
group Of giant reptiles called dinosaurs
one family of which. the stegosauridae.
or plated lizards. is perhaps the most
fantastic and curious in all natural his
tory. The most perfect and complete
tossilized skeleton OF the genus stego-
saurus. a smaller branch of this remark
able family group, is on exhibition in the
new building OF the United States Ma
lional museum at Washington, Just as
Il was found and dug out of the sand
stone rock Near at hand is a natural
size and very lifelike restoration in pa
pier-mache, so weird and monstrous in
appearance as to give one the horrors.
Back in the very early days of the
world this or-plated lizard-like mon
ster dwelt in the western part of the
United States in what is now the eastern
slope of the Rocky mountains, although
at that time the mountains did not exist.
He rosmed about in the marsh and swamp
lands of that region, feeding on the trop-
ical grasses and plants, the fossil re-
his skeleton. The specimen mentioned
above comes from Quarry No. l in FREE
mont county, near Canyon City. Colo,
where It was found by Mr.. NJ. p. Felch
in 1885. Brief articles concerning IL were
written from time to time, but It was not
assembled and mounted until two years
ago, and never completely described until
recently. With the exception Of the re-
moval of some of the sandstone which
surrounds this valuable specimen It has
been left in the position in which 1t was
discovered. so that the relation Of the
various bones and skin armor may be
seen and studied by scientists. In order
that the lower side of the skeleton and
the back plates may be seen, two mirrors
have been placed beneath it in such a
manner as to reflect the exact structure
and location of the various bones.
The undisturbed position of the bones,
and the surrounding sandstone indica 4.
that this monster died in the water, or
on the bank Of stream, and from some
natural cause. 1t Is possible that the
carcass floated down the stream, as the
arrangement of the different bones and
spine plates indicate a gradual washing
and tipping over. rather than the crush
ing action of a heavy force. The skeleton
is quite complete and lies partly on its
side and back, with nearly all the bones
in their relative positions. rendering 1t OF
infinite value to scientists for study and
as a reference type.
Nineteen Feet Long.
In life this peculiar reptile of such g.
gantic proportions must have presented a
forbidding appearance; 1t measures about
nineteen feet in length. was evidently
over eleven feet in height at the hips and
was covered with very vough and horny
scale-like skin, studded here and there
with bony buttons or knobs of arrnor
Along its back were arranged great sharp
edged plates set alternately and project
ing upward like the teeth of a huge saw,
This odd armorplate extended from the
small wedge-shaped reptilian head all the
way back and well down the taperine
Hzard-like tail, which was tipped with
-FOUR long sharp spines. It's legs were
not unlike those of a lizard or other rep
tile, except that the fore legs we're rathe,
short and much weaker than the hind
ones an indication that the great aninna
could sit up like a kangaroo, and per.
maps descended from a hipedal ancestor
From study Of its teeth it has been de-
termined that this prehistoric beast wa,
plant eater. as is suggested by III
habitat. Further investigation of IL.
head' which is so small as to be quite
out of proportion to its massive body
reveals the fact that It had scarcely any
brain. Although the body of the stego-
saurus is supposed to have weighed more
IMAM that of an elephant, the brain OF
the latter is fifty times as heavy, which
fact offers an excuse for the immens,
amount of defensive armor with which
was equipped, making it PRACTICAL,
impregnable as far as its enemies wer,
concerned. provided it had any. Its bone,
alone weigh nearly ton, and It has bee,
estimated that in life the stegosaul
weighed between seven and ten tons.
"A very complete scientific treatise OF
this interesting group of extinct gian
reptiles by Mr.. Charles w. Gilmore. as
sistant curator of fossil reptiles, has jus
peen published by the United States Ma
uonal museum in the form of a bulletin
the edition Of which has been distribute,
TO Libraries and to scientific and educa
tional institutions