Inside the Collections: Paleontology and the Big Bone Room

[FilmLord72]

@OrfyMusic, I'll give u thirty bucks and a bite of my snickers for it.

[OrfyMusic]

Hello! I am from Texas, and I have a Authentic Dinosaur Egg. It is definetly the most unusual looking Egg I have ever seen anywhere...it looks as if it cracked from one part and you can see the creatures back bone, it is crazy looking! I have been getting in contact with all kinds of dinosaur sites and museums around to world to try and sell it! Please write back if you are interested or want to know more information! Thank you!

[Herc0gs]

What's up with the "MTV Cribs" background music?

Anyways, this is very interesting.

[JacksInn]

Repent, sinners! This is god testing us! The fools shall be burned!

[dragonamt]

Cool, I'm in evolutionary biology, I am sure I could find a reason to get a backstage pass to this collection. :-) Not trying to make anyone jealous or anything lol. I hope to do grad work in ichthyology.

I wonder if they have any Dunkleosteus terrelli fossils? I know there is one on display at the natural history museum in Ann arbor but I think that is only a cast. Obviously it is too old to be in the room shown here though. I am going to search their database, I am sure they do have some.

[dlmarti]

I hate that I can see this stuff too.

I would easily pay 100 bucks just to walk and look down those isles.

[UpperHolocene]

Much of what is 'in the collections' at museums is there for a valid reason. It's not about hording, it's just a complex issue. Specimens that are too fragile for display, or too fragmented are left behind closed doors for storage, research or education. The specimens on display are the best that can be put out into display halls, or casts of the best example of a specimen. It is a fine balance for museums- keeping the public engaged while conserving fossils for future generations!

[TheSixthStation]

To be honest, this sort of bothers me more than it intrigues me. I personally, would LOVE to be able to see the collections that the museum has put away. I feel like many museums almost...hoard collections to themselves. The public gets to see a minuscule percent of what they have. I love the museum and it's on-display collection but I would love the opportunity to be able to see these places first hand.