Bristol??s very own dinosaur
The Bristol Dinosaur Project
Thecodontosaurus ?? The Bristol Dinosaur
210 million years ago Bristol was a very different place. Dinosaurs roamed on a small island surrounded by warm, tropical waters. Unfortunately we can??t go back to the Triassic Era, but we can find more about life in Bristol 210 million years ago by looking at the rocks and fossils.
In 1834 local palaeontologists discovered dinosaur bones in a quarry on Durdham Downs. This dinosaur was named Thecodontosaurus and has been found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately these bones were destroyed as they sat in the City Museum by bombs in World War II. Luckily new bones were discovered in 1975 at the top of Whiteladies Road, Clifton.
Bringing dinosaurs to life
Five tons of rock full of dinosaur bones, were brought to the laboratories in the University of Bristol, where a team led by Professor Mike Benton will carefully extract the bones. The project aims to develop an interactive exhibit showing the dinosaur in the environment in which it lived.
Education
As part of the Bristol Dinosaur Project an Education Officer has been appointed to encourage local school children to take an interest in this magnificent find. Children will get the opportunity to visit the laboratories or learn about Thecodontosaurus in their own school. Alongside this large ??hands on?? events will be held at the science centre At-Bristol.
The exhibition
A small exhibition is currently in place in the City Museum. This will be continuously added to as the project progresses.
Images copyright University of Bristol and David M. Waterhouse 2002
Submitted by: Caroline Milner, 16 July 2003
