Black Beauty (dinosaur)
Encyclopedia
Black Beauty is a well preserved fossil
of the theropod dinosaur
Tyrannosaurus rex. The nickname stems from the apparent shiny dark color of the fossil bones, which occurred during fossilisation by the presence of minerals in the surrounding rock. The specimen is housed in the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta
, Canada
. Black Beauty is the 14th of the 20 most complete skeletons
of Tyrannosaurus rex found so far, and casts are on display in museums around the world. In 2009
, a paper by Jack Horner
and colleagues illustrated the concept of parasitic infections in dinosaurs by analysing the lesions found on the cranial bones of Black Beauty.. The specimen has been used to study comparative morphology between tyrannosaurids and Tyrannosaurus individuals, and some have suggested that Black Beauty should be classed as Dynamosaurus (=Tyrannosaurus). Black Beauty is considered to be the smallest of all known adult T. rex specimens.
Black Beauty was found in 1980
by Jeff Baker, while on a fishing trip with a friend in the regions of the Crowsnest pass
, Alberta
. A large bone was found in the riverbank
and shown to their teacher. Soon afterward, the Royall Tyrrell Museum was contacted, and excavation of the sandstone matrix surrounding the fossils began in 1982
.
Replicas of Black Beauty have been shown in some exhibitions and museum
s, including both simple skull montages and complete skeletons. The Naturhistoriska riksmuseet in Stockholm
has a mounted complete skeleton of Black Beauty as one of their primary exhibitions called 4 ½ miljarder år, featuring the history of earth and life. Black Beauty has also been displayed in Paleozoological Museum, and a replica of the skull is on display at the Museum of African Culture
.. It was also part of the traveling exhibit Dinosaur World Tour in the 1990s
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
of the theropod dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
Tyrannosaurus rex. The nickname stems from the apparent shiny dark color of the fossil bones, which occurred during fossilisation by the presence of minerals in the surrounding rock. The specimen is housed in the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Black Beauty is the 14th of the 20 most complete skeletons
Specimens of Tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the most iconic dinosaurs, is known from numerous specimens, some of which have acquired a degree of notability in their own right because of their scientific importance and coverage by the media...
of Tyrannosaurus rex found so far, and casts are on display in museums around the world. In 2009
2009 in paleontology
-Anomalocaridids:-Arachnids:-Insects:-Cephalopods:Three new species of extinct Octopoda discovered in 2009. The species - Keuppia hyperbolaris, Keuppia levante, and Styletoctopus annae - lived about 95 million years ago, and bear a strong resemblance to modern octopuses, suggesting that the...
, a paper by Jack Horner
Jack Horner (paleontologist)
John "Jack" R. Horner is an American paleontologist who discovered and named Maiasaura, providing the first clear evidence that some dinosaurs cared for their young. He is one of the best-known paleontologists in the United States...
and colleagues illustrated the concept of parasitic infections in dinosaurs by analysing the lesions found on the cranial bones of Black Beauty.. The specimen has been used to study comparative morphology between tyrannosaurids and Tyrannosaurus individuals, and some have suggested that Black Beauty should be classed as Dynamosaurus (=Tyrannosaurus). Black Beauty is considered to be the smallest of all known adult T. rex specimens.
Black Beauty was found in 1980
1980 in paleontology
-Newly named dinosaurs:Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list and Dr. Jeremy Montague's dinosaur genus database.-New taxa:-New taxa:-Non-mammalian:-References:...
by Jeff Baker, while on a fishing trip with a friend in the regions of the Crowsnest pass
Crowsnest Pass
Crowsnest Pass is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta/British Columbia border.-Geography:...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. A large bone was found in the riverbank
Riverbank
Riverbank may refer to:*Riverbank, California*Riverbank, former name of Bryte, California*The RiverBank, a bank offering banking, insurance and investment services*Bank , the bank of a river...
and shown to their teacher. Soon afterward, the Royall Tyrrell Museum was contacted, and excavation of the sandstone matrix surrounding the fossils began in 1982
1982 in paleontology
-Pteridophyta:-Newly named dinosaurs:Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list and Dr. Jeremy Montague's dinosaur genus database.-New taxa:-New taxa:-New taxa:...
.
Replicas of Black Beauty have been shown in some exhibitions and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s, including both simple skull montages and complete skeletons. The Naturhistoriska riksmuseet in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
has a mounted complete skeleton of Black Beauty as one of their primary exhibitions called 4 ½ miljarder år, featuring the history of earth and life. Black Beauty has also been displayed in Paleozoological Museum, and a replica of the skull is on display at the Museum of African Culture
Museum of African Culture
The Museum of African Culture is a museum in Portland, Maine, USA, that specializes in Sub-Saharan African tribal art and culture. Changing exhibits also include art inspired by the African diaspora, and the museum's programs include music, storytelling, films, poetry, literature, healing...
.. It was also part of the traveling exhibit Dinosaur World Tour in the 1990s
External links
- Picture: Black Beauty is prepared for an exhibition.
- Picture: Black Beauty on fossil wall.
- Picture: The rib cage of Black Beauty.
- Black Beauty and the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
- Black Beauty and other Tyrannosaurus fossils in T.rex Discovery Centre, Eastend.
- Picture: Complete restored skeleton of Black Beauty.
- Black Beauty at Royall Tyrrell Museum.
- Skull of Black Beauty at www.flickr.com.
- Black Beauty at Royal Tyrell Museum.
