Apologies for the strange angle, the front panel was terribly greasy from kids' fingers since the unveiling of the cast.
Photo taken on the 28th of May 2009.
Apologies for the strange angle, the front panel was terribly greasy from kids\' fingers since the unveiling of the cast.
Photo taken on the 28th of May 2009.
That isn't a cast, that's the real thing - Ida herself. I think it was only on display for one day. The Messel fossils are prepared by mounting them in plastic as the oil-shale they are found in is so soft.
From what I understand, the real thing did come to the museum very briefly (for a few hours) but was not put on display. This cast was donated by the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum and was unveiled the morning before the documentary about it was broadcast. Sir David Attenborough also visited to see the cast that day.
It's quite a complex story following just one fossil in one museum, but there's more information on the Natural History Museum's website: Donated Ida fossil cast to go on display | Natural History Museum Ida fossil cast on display | Natural History Museum
OK, I apologise, I thought they were going to put the real thing on display for one day only (as they did in New York) and I didn't know about the cast.
I remember seeing the real Archaeopteryx fossil at the BMNH in a special display years ago - so much more to see than any cast.
Thanks, I thought the same thing but had to re-read the article a couple of times to understand what was going on. What has always surprised me is the number of 'fossils' on display which are actually casts - many of what are regarded by visitors as true fossils actually have the word 'cast' written at the bottom of their information panel.
