Fossil or Fake? Horned Dinosaur Skulls at NHMU

Have you ever wondered how you can tell what is a fossil and what is a cast of a fossil or a sculpted element at a museum? Wonder no longer! Paleontology collections manager Carrie Levitt-Bussian is here to give you a special look at some of the exceptional ceratopsian (horned dinosaur) skulls at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and break down the difference between real fossils, casts, and the gaps that get filled in in between.

You can follow the museum on twitter @NHMU, and if you want to visit, the museum's website has all the information you need (sometimes you can even get a tour of collections from Carrie)

If you'd like to support my art (and help make future videos like this possible) support me on patreon!

You can also learn more about these fantastic dinosaur specimens on their wikipedia pages:

Thanks for being interested in the history of our planet!

[magemyst]

I loved the video, but that background music was too distracting. It felt loud and out of place. Good video though, I appreciate the information and how it was presented.

[Tymdek]

After watching this again and reading some of the "discussions" in the comments I have to say that you, sir, have the patience of an angel. And nerves made out of carbon nanotubes.

[Nonorama]

Also had a job as art intern at a natural history museum and we were two interns that were actually allowed to paint some hardplastic casts of marine fossiles, to make them look realistic, for display. It took a while, but it was an awesome experience.

[yellow_carsupreme]

She straight up says they reconstructed that half skull with rocks.

[HiTechKeema]

Damn, it's actually quite creepy seeing the mineralized remains of a once-living animal up close. It's, in a way, visceral to see the bones and remember that this is actually a dead body we're looking at, which was once a living animal, as real as you or I.

[shaweezkhan]

Definitely a wrong choice for background music...so much distracting

[AndreaRoll]

are there more videos with this lady? she's very good and passionate for her work

[KrayzieBone]

THANK YOU LADY FOR SAYING THAT ONLY 1% of all bones are displayed in museums.. Thank you so much.

[dumoulin]

It's absolutely incredible to read so many ignorant comments from religious types.

[Evilgood]

Okay. Where did you get the music for this video? I almost couldn’t keep up with your narration through the seriously awesome music. Almost.

[dukedashwolfgg]

Sometimes museums use fossil casts of the bones

[TheManOWrath]

The reason only 1% are displayed is because there is nothing to display.

[SoulDelSol]

This was most amazing dinosaur video ever. Ceratopsians may just be my new favorite dinosaur, they are so cool. The woman did a great job presenting

[jnmwtkns]

Wouldn't the horns on the back of the frill be standing up in life? Like the surrounding horns? How do they know they wernt standing up in life?

[Kevin-hxky]

*cough* Saurian's evidence of Toroceratops is based on outdated plaster restorations *cough*

[fredbarron]

I've always wanted to lick a dinosaur bone, now I have a reason.

[dinodude]

can I have a protoceratops skull please

[isaach]

Can't really tell the difference between the replica and the real

[trickerdgaming]

2:30 from when the creator was carving it

[RobertoJunior-rump]

If dinosaurs really existed, why doesn't have even one kind of lost specimen which managed to survive all these stuffs about meteors and etc... swinging around, in the depths of the oceans ? Neither an animal which is a specimen descendent of its ?