Laelaps

Barosaurus lentus is one of the many dinosaurs that are both familiar and rare, one skeleton being mostly complete but the 5 others that are currently known are much less so. Known from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation of the western United States, this dinosaur is perhaps most famously (and controversially) reconstructed in the Grand Rotunda of the American Museum of Natural History, rearing up to protect a juvenile from a marauding Allosaurus, although a recent news story from the Royal Ontario Museum tells of the second most complete specimen being found after going missing for over 30 years.

Many spectacular finds have been made in fossils that have been forgotten about in museum basements or cabinets, but the long-lost Barosaurus at the ROM has a slightly more complicated history. According to the news story on TheStar.com, the partial skeleton was initially acquired by the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, PA while under the supervision of Gordon Edmunds, the fossils slated for display in 1970. The plan never came to fruition, however, and by some means not mentioned in the article the bones found their way into storage at the ROM. Enter paleontologist David Evans, an associate curator of vertebrate paleontology at the ROM who was looking to obtain a sauropod skeleton for the new Crystal Wing of the museum when he chanced across at 2005 reference to a Barosaurus specimen in the ROM collection by Jack McIntosh, one of the most noted sauropod specialists. The trail seemed to be cold, however, as the remains did not show up in the ROM database, but Evans was still able to find 1,000 pieces of the skeleton and put Barosaurus back together again. From what I could tell from the video clip attached to the story what was discovered primarily comprised the pelvis, the humeri, the femurs, and vertebrae from the middle of the neck, the back, and the anterior portion of the tail, although other skeletons that have the missing parts can be used to reconstruct what the entire animal looks like. It will surely make for an impressive mount, especially since the re-discovered Barosaurus will be placed right near the window of the new wing, looking out over the city.

[Many thanks to the talented paleo-artist Michael Skrepnick who sent me his artwork for this announcement and pointed me to the story]