Bone from UK's largest stegosaur fossil returns to hometown
A bone from the largest stegosaur fossil ever found in the UK is returning to its hometownThe piece of vertebra is said to have come from a dinosaur discovered about 150 years ago in Swindon, which experts have said is the UK's most complete stegosaur skeleton.It will be on display at Museum & Art Swindon on Euclid Street.Swindon Borough Council councillor Marina Strinkovsky said: "It's fantastic that a piece of it is coming home."
The fossil was first found in the quarry pit at Swindon Brick and Tile Company in 1874, a site now occupied by Halford's and The Range on Fleming Way.While most of the Swindon Stegosaur remains on display at the Natural History Museum in London, smaller parts were taken by fossil hunters and dispersed into other collections.
'Ignites imagination'
"Swindon was really important in the history of palaeontology and loads of important fossil hunters lived here or visited Swindon in the late 19th Century to look for specimens," Ms Strinkovsky said."The stegosaur ignites the imagination of Swindonians of all ages," she added.Stegosaurs were large, armoured, herbivorous dinosaurs that lived roughly 150 million years ago.
The latest artefact to join the council-run museum was found by palaeontologist Dr Neville Hollingworth and Sally Hollingworth, who have been working alongside museum volunteers and staff through the Arts Council England-funded 'Unlocking Collections' project.The pair said: "We saw this specimen for sale and realised its importance straight away."When the Swindon Stegosaur was collected in the 19th Century some of the original material ended up in private collections and we instantly recognised that the vertebra offered for sale had come from the original site where the skeleton was found."We're delighted that Museum & Art Swindon has put this truly unique find from the town on display and, hopefully, this will help raise awareness about the town's Jurassic past," they added.
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