Titus: T. rex is King - Nottingham

[Kapitaenosavrvs]

Wonderful and interesting insight of the Transportation. The Photos itself are well done aswell.

@Lanthanotus i thought the same and wondered, if they add the Info on how a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth works and how far it is sticking inside the Skull/Gum in reality. This way you could have these overly long looking teeth as an attraction for People and also show the Info, that they are supposed to be further inside and just "are like this to show the teeth in their... enviroment" ^^ Not perfect, but i guess that kind of works?

[DinoToyForum]

My understanding is that's how the teeth were preserved, in the cast of Stan that was used to fill in the gaps in Titus' skeleton, so it's a taphonomic artefact. The scientific consultant for this project was Dr Dave Hone, and he led on the exhibition interpretation. I don't think we mention that the teeth are protruding in the exhibition text or guide book, I need to check. I'll ask him about it at the VIP launch tomorrow.

Today was the press launch event for the exhibition, so there were camera crews in, and expect to see plenty of photos and footage soon! The exhibition will be open to the public from this weekend, but booking is essential: https://wollatonhall.org.uk/titus/

Here's one I took of the head.

[DinoToyForum]

I should also mention that we had hoped to launch a new permanent gallery, Changing Planet, at the same time as the Titus exhibition, but that is running behind schedule. Changing Planet will open in a few weeks, as soon as we've put everything in the cases, which have just been finished. So, if you are planning to visit Wollaton Hall, it would be worth delaying a few weeks so you can see the new fossil displays as well as Titus.

I'll post some updates and pictures of the Changing Planet gallery in the main Nottingham Natural History Museum thread.

[stargatedalek]

My understanding is that's how the teeth were preserved, in the cast of Stan that was used to fill in the gaps in Titus' skeleton, so it's a taphonomic artefact. The scientific consultant for this project was Dr Dave Hone, and he led on the exhibition interpretation. I don't think we mention that the teeth are protruding in the exhibition text or guide book, I need to check. I'll ask him about it at the VIP launch tomorrow

You are exactly right, it's a very common taphonomic artifact with theropods for the teeth to fall almost completely free of their sockets in the skull and be preserved like that.

Basically, whether you want to alter that depends on if you are reconstructing the skeleton, or reconstructing the fossil, no reason to have changed them as this seems to be decidedly the latter. Still hope the material mentions it though, it's a very interesting way to talk about taphonomic artifacts in an easy to digest way and also helps combat one of the more prevalent misconceptions about theropod appearance, one so common its even widely unrealized by experts.

[DinoToyForum]

The exhibition launched this weekend!
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jul/03/real-t-rex-goes-on-show-in-england-for-first-time-in-over-a-century

Look, that's me in the background talking to Sue from @Everything_Dinosaur (and Mike is behind the cameraman talking to Nigel Larkin, who constructed Titus).


A side note, this is not the first T. rex in England for a century as is being reported in the press, I'm not sure where this headline grabber came from, but it is the first in decades.

[suspsy]

Was there any debate over which specimen head to give Titus, or was Stan simply the most easily accessible one?

[Everything_Dinosaur]

The exhibition launched this weekend!
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jul/03/real-t-rex-goes-on-show-in-england-for-first-time-in-over-a-century

Look, that's me in the background talking to Sue from @Everything_Dinosaur (and Mike is behind the cameraman talking to Nigel Larkin, who constructed Titus).


A side note, this is not the first T. rex in England for a century as is being reported in the press, I'm not sure where this headline grabber came from, but it is the first in decades.

And it was a very enjoyable day too.  We wish all those involved in the "Titus T. rex is King" exhibition the very best of luck as the exhibition officially opens today (July 4th)

[DinoToyForum]

The guide book for this exhibition, co-authored by Dave Hone, myself, and Rachael Evans, is now available from museumshops.uk:
https://museumshops.uk/product/titus-t-rex-is-king-exhibition-guide-book/

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

I was actually I'm Nottingham for a couple of days at the end of last month for work but didn't get a chance to go to your exhibit, already closed by the time I was free both days.

[DinoToyForum]

I was actually I'm Nottingham for a couple of days at the end of last month for work but didn't get a chance to go to your exhibit, already closed by the time I was free both days.

Ah, that's a shame. Yeah, I think last entry is 3:30 pm, quite early in the day. But the exhibition will be running for a whole year, so there's plenty of time yet.

[DinoToyForum]

I showed palaeoartist Jed Taylor and our own Marc @Horridus around the exhibition earlier this week. Marc has subsequently posted his review of it on Love in the Time of Chasmosaurs, here: https://chasmosaurs.com/2021/08/26/titus-the-t-rex-at-wollaton-hall/

[ceratopsian]

I'm booked finally to go up to Nottingham and see this exhibition next week!

[DinoToyForum]

I'm booked finally to go up to Nottingham and see this exhibition next week!

Looking forward to seeing you there. 

[ceratopsian]

My husband and I duly made it to Wollaton Hall yesterday to see Titus and to inspect @dinotoyforum's new galleries, which opened a few months ago.  And to have lunch with our leader, which was a great pleasure.

First a few pictures of the mount of "Titus".  When I was actually there, I didn't notice the shadows cast on the ceiling!







I must confess that I always enjoy the drama of seeing a mounted fossil - even when some of it is made up of casts rather than original bone. 

Then we wandered along to see the new permanent exhibition galleries.  I thought that our leader had done a magnificent job in designing the new cases.  Plenty to see without overwhelming the visitor, and clear exposition.  Everything had very clean, uncluttered lines and felt very fresh and open.  Also good to see plenty of seat provision.  I also had an enduring question from my childhood answered - why did this Tudor mansion have no Long Gallery - the answer being that it was broken up into bedrooms in the Georgian period.  I liked the way that the building's history was incorporated into the museum exhibits.



I'd have liked a closer view of Bob Nicholls' splendid Liopleurodon model, which just squeezed into its position on top of the cabinet.  But on hearing that rambunctious children had damaged it twice when it was at ground level, height seemed a sensible choice.



I was very taken with the use of patterned plastic applied to the gallery windows to complement the displays:


Information about our leader's professional life:



And finally proof that I was there - indulging my inner child in this case!

[DinoToyForum]

It was great to meet up with you again yesterday @ceratopsian. 

You were brave standing next to the mini-Titus, he could've gummed you to death! Yeah, those rambunctious children you speak of have pinched most of the teeth but we have some replacements on the way...

[ceratopsian]

I hope you ordered a ton of them!!  He will need more than one set. 

It was great to meet up with you again yesterday @ceratopsian. 

You were brave standing next to the mini-Titus, he could've gummed you to death! Yeah, those rambunctious children you speak of have pinched most of the teeth but we have some replacements on the way...

[Lanthanotus]

I missed the updates on this thread for too long. A magnificent T. rex you got there, such a bulk, it transports the real size and mass of this animal really well.

Thanks @ceratopsian for these insights and I can only agree with out about the marine reptile collection, it looks splendid. Will there be a virtual tour as for the Chinese Dinosaur Exhibition? 

[Halichoeres]

Thanks for documenting your trip @ceratopsian, it's a bit far for me to visit myself but this is the next best thing.

[DinoToyForum]

I missed the updates on this thread for too long. A magnificent T. rex you got there, such a bulk, it transports the real size and mass of this animal really well.

Thanks @ceratopsian for these insights and I can only agree with out about the marine reptile collection, it looks splendid. Will there be a virtual tour as for the Chinese Dinosaur Exhibition? 

Thanks, no, there's no plan to have a virtual tour of the T. rex exhibition. Nor the new galleries, but maybe in the future when all the new galleries are finished, it's still a work in progress.