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A 66 million-year-old T-Rex has gone on display in Nottingham, marking the first time one has gone on display in England since the early 20th century
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 06 Jul 2021
Titus will remain on display at Wollaton Hall until August 2022 Credit: Nottingham City Council
The first ‘real’ Tyrannosaurus Rex to be exhibited in England in more than a century has gone on display at Wollaton Hall, a natural history museum in Nottingham, UK.
The skeleton, named Titus, is approximately 66 million years old. He was discovered in Hell Creek, Montana, US - part of the Montana Badlands - in 2018 by palaeontologist Craig Pfister, who first discovered bone fragments and a broken tooth in the area in 2014. 20% of Titus’ skeleton was recovered during the excavation, which took place four years later.
This is the first time that the four-metre (13ft) tall and 11-metre (36 ft) long skeleton has gone on display to the public.
Titus: T Rex is King
The Titus: T Rex is King exhibition, which received funding from Arts Council England, tells the story of Titus’ life and environment. It also aims to disprove several myths surrounding the dinosaurs, which, according to a study published in April this year, was one of 2.5 billion T-Rex to roam the earth.
Dr David Hone, a palaeontologist and senior lecturer of zoology at the Queen Mary University of London, was part of the team that reconstructed Titus.
He said that visitors would be able to get up close and personal with the dino and decide for themselves “if he was covered in scales or feathers or both.”
“Titus is an incredibly well-preserved specimen with important and unique pathologies that advance the science of palaeontology and our understanding of these iconic dinosaurs,” he told The Guardian
Titus is accompanied by a series of digital and interactive virtual media displays, providing visitors with an insight into his discovery, as well as documenting his journey from excavation, examination, reconstruction, curation to his final reveal.
“Coming face to face with an actual T Rex is an experience very few in the world can claim,” said Rachel Evans, development manager at Nottingham City Museums.
“Even in skeleton form, Titus’ power and presence is unmistakable. We’ve had to dedicate the largest room at Wollaton Hall just to him alone.”
Wollaton Hall has long held an international reputation for hosting rare dinosaur exhibits, having previously hosted a Dinosaurs of China exhibition, featuring several fossils that had never been seen outside of Asia before, in 2017.
Titus: T Rex is King will run at Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum until August 2022.
Palaeontologist Nigel Larkin spent more than a year preparing Titus for the exhibition CREDIT: NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL
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