Fossil Details

Amber

Blathers' Description:

"Amber is created when the sap from ancient trees hardens, wot? It does bear mentioning... Amber in and of itself is glorious... But if there is a bug trapped inside, well, then it is even more beautiful! The bug even retains the exact shocked expression it had when it was trapped!"

Ammonite

Blathers' Description:

"The ammonite looks like it would be related to spiral-shelled creatures, but have I got a whopper of a surprise for you! They are actually part of the same family as squid and octopi! Just imagine! All that remains of these enigmatic creatures are their shells... Despite extensive research, we're still not sure what their bodies looked like."

Archaeopteryx

Blathers' Description:

"The Archaeopteryx had wings and looked almost exactly like a modern bird, eh wot? As such, most scientists believed that it was the true avian ancestor. Our most recent studies, however, conclude that the lineage is not direct. Current hypotheses point to multiple ancestors, some yet to be discovered. Ah! Sorry for running on! This could be one of my ancient relatives, wot!"

Dino Egg

Blathers' Description:

Utterly amazing, this is! What a perfect specimen! Figuring out what kind of egg this is might seem easy, but it's actually not. In fact, I must admit that I have no idea how to go about it, eh wot? Still, that very mystery is what's so fascinating about a dinosaur egg! Ah! Hoo. I'm awfully sorry. Inexplicable mysteries tend to set my beak blabbing!

Fern Fossil

Blathers' Description:

"This piece of fauna has just emerged from the sea when it became preserved. Rather than seeds, it relied on its spores to spread. It resembles moss with leaves!"

Peking Man

Blathers' Description:

"Peking man is significant because he lived roughly 500,000 years ago. Hoo, well, that AND he is said to be a link between apes and humans, wot wot! What particularly fascinates me is the fact that he knew to use fire to cook. Of course, that's standard practice now, eh wot? But I assure you, it wasn't then! They say that this aided in brain development and was a remarkable breakthrough. Peking man's life span was a mere 14 years, so humans today would far outlive him. Oh! Please forgive me! The thought of this hairy ancient quite addled me!"

Shark Tooth

Blathers' Description:

"It is believed that sharks existed long before even dinosaurs appeared... However, a shark's skeleton is made from cartilage and is softer than bone. As a result, very few have survived as Fossils, eh wot? Fortunately, we CAN research them when we find a shark tooth."

Trilobite

Blathers' Description:

"Trilobites existed long before the dinosaurs, I'll have you know. At the time, there were very few enemies, so they absolutely thrived, wot! For protection, much like a ... blech... pill bug, they would roll up into a ball."

Ankylosaur

Size in Length: 36.1 feet

Time Period Existed: Late Cretaceous

Blathers' Description:

"This marvelous herbivore was covered in spikes from head to back, eh wot? I challenge you to find a more perfectly protected body. You shan't succeed! Not only that, but this great beast could also swing its hammerlike tail! Hoo, this allowed it to attack as well as defend. With an attack like that... Why, any carnivore would likely think twice about snacking on this fellow! Ah! Forgive my babbling. it's that tail, you see... One can't help but rave!"

Apatosaur

Size in Length: 68.9 feet

Time Period Existed: Late Jurassic

Blathers' Description:

"The apatosaur was once called a brontosaur, I'll have you know. It is well known for having a rather long neck and tail and for being a herbivore. However, it appears that, unlike the giraffe, it could not make its neck vertical! Yes, blood flow, you see. If it straightened more than 90 degrees, it might faint!"

Dimetrodon

Size in Length: 11.5 feet

Time Period Existed: Early Permian

Blathers' Description:

"It lived early on, when dinosaurs first began roaming the earth, wot? And actually, to be quite accurate, it's not even a real dinosaur at all! As we know, dinosaurs were cold-blooded and could not change body temperature. But the Dimetrodon could! It used its distinctive back to control heat! For this reason, it is considered what we call a 'mammalian reptile', wot?"

Iguanudon

Size in Length: 32.8 feet

Time Period Existed: Early Cretaceous

Blathers' Description:

"The Iguanodon holds the distinction of being the first dinosaur ever found! Until this beast was found, we were unaware that dinosaurs even existed, wot! One wonders if the first iguanodon tooth was thought to be an iguana's."

Mammoth

Size in Length: 13 feet

Time Period Existed: Pleistocene Cenozoic

Blathers' Description:

"It resembled an elephant and only became extinct a mere 10,000 years ago! This shaggy beast lived in the ice age and developed pronounced tusks, wot wot? Yes, it used them to scrape ice and snow to get to the plants that it fed on!"

Pachycephalosaur

Size in Length: 13.1 feet

Time Period Existed: Late Cretaceous

Blathers' Description:

"I must tell you a smidgen about the pachycephalosaur. This unique creature was one of the last dinosaurs to roam the earth, wot? Though it is known primarily for its rounded head... It was basically all bone! There was hardly a brain to speak of inside! These brain-boggling dinos never case to amaze me! Hoo, so intriguing!"

Parasaur

Size in Length: 29.5 feet

Time Period Existed: Late Cretaceous

Blathers' Description:

"This dinosaur lived until the very end of ALL dinosaur-kind, you know. The magnificent rest on its head was actually hollow bone measuring over 3 feet! BA-ROOOOOOOOOOOOOO! A mighty cry would echo across the land when it tooted it! Ah, Hoo.

Plesiosaur

Size in Length: 23.6 feet

Time Period Existed: Late Cretaceous

Blathers' Description:

"This must mean that the great day has finally come! The plesiosaur is complete! Hoo! Indeed, WOO hoo! I shout to the sky, HUZZAH! Please, allow me a moment to tell you a little about the plesiosaur! This creature emerged towards the end of the era of the dinosaurs... to be accurate, it was not a dinosaur but rather a type of long-neck reptile. The first Plesiosaurus fossil was found 35 years ago by a high-schooler!"

Pteranodon

Size in Length: 30.2 feet

Time Period Existed: Late Cretaceous

Blathers' Description:

"The pteranodon was simply a wonderful creature. It emerged in the later age of dinosaurs, winging through the ancient skies. Though it could fly, it was most certainly not a bird! No, it was a reptile, wot! When it spread its wings, it was a big as a small aeroplane. Simply gargantuan!"

Sabretooth Tiger

Size in Length: 6.2 feet

Time Period Existed: Pleistocene Cenozoic

Blathers' Description:

"The sabretooth tiger was an absolutely amazing beast! As it name implies, it was part of the cat family and had two long canine teeth. It could open its jaws incredibly wide, allowing it to tear into thick hides. It went extinct about 40,000 years ago... during a period when humans lived. I understand that humans also fell victim to this fierce hunter. The horror!"

Seismosaur

Size in Length: 113.2

Time Period Existed: Late Jurassic

Blathers' Description:

"The seismosaur is quite simply, a stunning creature. Of the dinosaurs that we know about now, this is the absolute longest. It's body was quite small and quite light for its length, to be honest."

Stegosaur

Size in Length: 30.5 feet

Time Period Existed: Late Cretaceous

Blathers' Description:

"Let me tell you about our dear stegosaur. It emerged right around the middle of the era when dinosaurs roamed the earth. The diamond-shaped plates embedded along its back are actually made of bone, wot? Indeed, they were used to keep it cool and also to thwart its enemies."

T-Rex

Size in Length: 47.6 feet

Time Period Existed: Late Cretaceous

Blathers' Description:

"This carnivorous giant was one of the last remaining dinosaurs on earth. Because of its speed, it was once called the ultimate hunter. However a recent theory suggests that the T-Rex was in point of fact clumsy. Yes, clumsy! And that it ate a diet consisting mostly of dead dinosaurs! Nonsense, says I! What rot! I still consider T-Rex to be a dinosaur most savage!"

Triceratops

Size in Length: 47.6 feet

Time Period Existed: Late Cretaceous

Blathers' Description:

"Allow me to compose myself and tell you about the mighty Triceratops. This herbivore was one of the last remaining dinosaurs, eh wot? This quiet giant is easily recognised by its three horns and its large collar. The bone in that collar was designed to build more muscles in the neck... Yes, as a result, the biting power of this creature was something to behold! Ah. Hoo. Yes, so sorry. I didn't behold it MYSELF, of course... Hoo."

Fossil Completion

After completing all of the fossil displays, Blathers will mention:

"Hoooooooo! Incredible! My dear --your name--, we've finally done it! All the displays are filled! Hootie hoo! You know what this means?! The fossil exhibit is now complete, wot! Hoo! Indeed, WOO hoo! Congratulations, my dear friend! Hoooo MY! I do hope you'll be equally involved in the other exhibits, wot wot?"