© University of Leicester
A cast of a 21-foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur is now on permanent display at the University of Leicester.
The predator, nicknamed Jane, was commissioned by the specimen-makers of T-rex in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, and is now based in the UK after moving from Toronto in Canada.
Jane now takes pride of place in an exhibition space at the University’s Department of Geology, among a number of exhibits illustrating ‘Flying dinosaurs…and the origin of birds’.
© University of Leicester
“We wanted something that would be challenging and exciting, that would promote science, educate students and interest the public and visitors,” said University of Leicester geologist Professor David Siveter.
“The theme traces the origin of birds from the dinosaurs. This provides a link between ancient fossils with what we see about us in the trees. The message basically is that dinosaurs, in the form of some of their descendents, haven’t become extinct: we just call them birds.”
The exhibit is the first of its kind to be showcased in the UK and it is now open as an educational facility for staff, students and academic research as well as for members of the public and school visits.
© University of Leicester
Professor Siveter spearheaded the £60,000 exhibition and aimed to ensure it appealed to people at all levels, with a range of specimens to compare and study.
“Not only have we got T-rex from Toronto,” he explained, “we also have so-called ‘dino-birds’ from Beijing, a clutch of real sauropod dinosaur eggs and a large vertebra of a real dinosaur. There are mounted exhibits of a magpie and sparrowhawk – a raptor that provides a nice juxtaposition with T-rex.”
