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T-Rex Update
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Did you really build a Tyrannosaurus skeleton out of chicken bones?
- Yes, or at least a model that is pretty close in structure to the real thing, but at a smaller scale.
- That is really weird -- whose idea was this anyway??
- It got started when my friend Steve (who worked at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City) gave me a book called T-Rex To Go: Build Your Own from Chicken Bones. When I looked at the book I decided that I really wanted to own a table-top T-Rex skeleton. Besides, if you think this is weird, you should check out this Robo-Roach project.
- Okay, so maybe this is not so strange. Who wrote the book?
- The book is by zoologist and paleontologist Chris McGowan, published by HarperPerrenial, 1999. You can see more about his books at www.levins.com/bonebooks.shtml
- What exactly do you do to make the skeleton?
- You start with bones from five chickens, and there is a lot of cutting, shaping, filing, sanding, and gluing. The whole thing goes together around a wire coat hanger, connected to a stand.
- Why do you need five chickens?
- You need extra sets of certain bones so you can simulate the T-Rex skeleton. For example, you make the skull out of bones from the hip, shoulder blade, and a few others. The tail takes a lot of extra bones.
- How difficult is the work, and how long did it take to finish?
- It is more detailed than I expected, especially the feet and hands, but I figured out how to do it. It took about 85 - 100 hours, over 14 months (a lot of distractions along the way!).
- What was the hardest to make?
- Making and gluing the bones for the feet --very small pieces, about 2 to 4 mm long. You can't sneeze or you will lose them. The teeth are also very tricky.
- What are you going to do next?
- I sent photos to Prof. McGowan, and got a nice email reply. And had a great debut party for the T-Rex!! The next project is the Sauropod (see section on home page).