Dippy ’s last days: diplodocus leaves London after 112 years for farewell UK tour

Replica dinosaur makes way for blue whale skeleton in Natural History MuseumSo farewell then,Dippy the Diplodocus. For more than a century the much-loved 26-metre long dinosaur skeleton has held centre stage at the Natural History Museum in London, captivating generations of children. But this is the last weekend of Dippy ’s residency. On Wednesday the 292 plaster-cast bones that make up his splendid frame will be taken apart and packed up.After 112 years as the museum ’s best-known prize exhibit, the country’s most famous diplodocus will embark on afarewell tour of the UK, following which there are no plans to put him on show. His replacement at the Natural History Museum will be the genuine skeleton of a young blue whale who died in 1891 on an Irish beach, around 152 million years after Dippy ’s demise in the United States. As yet, the whale has no nickname – Bluey doesn’t really swing it.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - January 1, 2017 Category: Science Authors: Tracy McVeigh Tags: Dinosaurs Evolution Natural History Museum Fossils Museums UK news Zoology Science Culture Source Type: news