Original 1905 mount featured bones from ten different individuals. Photo taken prior to rearticulation and cast being made. Image courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution
How One Triceratops is Actually Ten
When the original Triceratops skeleton first went on display at the Smithsonian in 1905, no complete Triceratops skeletons had been found. To create a complete skeleton, paleontologists pieced together 10 different individuals. This resulted in the skeleton being out of proportion, with the head larger than the body and a somewhat ungainly posture. After being on display for decades, it was corrected for scientific accuracy, and a cast was created. The original skeleton is housed at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and the Triceratops horridus cast at CU Boulder is a full cast of that composite-skeleton.
"We thank colleagues and collaborators at Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for their role in bringing this exciting Triceratops to CU Boulder.”
- Nancy J. Stevens, Director, CU Museum of Natural History