Titus (dinosaur): Difference between revisions

Titus
	Tyrannosaurus rex
Age	67-66 million years
Place discovered	Montana, United States
Date discovered	2014
Discovered by	Craig Pfister

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Titus is an obsidian black skeleton of a

Tyrannosaurus rex discovered in the Hell Creek Formation, Montana, United States in 2014 and excavated in 2018.^[1]

Titus was on display as the centrepiece of an exhibition at the Nottingham Natural History Museum, England, from July 2021 to August 2022.^[2] According to the Nottingham City Council, it is also a rare instance of an actual Tyrannosaurus fossil leaving North America.^[3] The exhibit includes 3D scanned replicas of the skeleton, which visitors can inspect and handle.^[4] He is named after the protagonist in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus.^[5] The owner of Titus remains anonymous.^[1]

Description

The mounted Titus skeleton measures 4 metres (13 ft) high and 11 metres (36 ft) long.^[2] It is named after the protagonist in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus.^[5] The skeleton comprises 59 preserved elements, representing about 20% of the bones in an adult T. rex.^[6] External bone inspection has revealed injuries to Titus' right tibia (possibly a claw or bite wound); a deformed toe on the right foot; and a bitten and healed tail. The bite wound near the end of the tail indicates a possible attack by another Tyrannosaurus.^[5]

Discovery

In September 2014, commercial paleontologist Craig Pfister first discovered the remains of Titus near Ekalaka, Carter County, Montana. The site was an ancient river channel whence the specimen may have been transported in a flood event which also winnowed the skeleton and may in part explain why only 20% of the bones were preserved.^[5] Pfister originally found a broken tibia, and said he knew right away that it belonged to a Tyrannosaurus rex, but was sidetracked by the discovery of a nearby Triceratops.^[1]^[6] Excavation of the specimen began in 2018, and took 18 months.^[7]

Reconstruction and exhibition

The bones of Titus were shipped to conservationist Nigel Larkin in the United Kingdom, who assessed and conserved the bones. Larkin reconstructed the mount using a cast of the Tyrannosaurus specimen Stan to supplement the known bones of "Titus", after scanning the bones using photogrammetry to create digital models that were 3D printed in gypsum for use in the exhibition, alongside the display of the real fossil skeleton.^[4]^[6] For the exhibit at the Nottingham Natural History Museum at Wollaton Hall, Titus was reconstructed "in a walking mode, perhaps searching for prey or returning home after a hunt."^[5] The exhibition, titled "Titus: T. Rex is King", ran from 3 July 2021 to August 2022.^[2]^[6]

According to the museum, this is the first time that a "real" fossilised Tyrannosaurus rex has been shown in England for more than 100 years.^[3]^[8]^[A] According to the Nottingham city council, it is also a rare instance of an actual Tyrannosaurus fossil leaving North America.^[3]

References

Notes

^ According to the National Geographic, the T. rex specimen Trix went on display briefly in Glasgow, Scotland, in the summer of 2019. In England, the holotype of Dynamosaurus imperiosus, now regarded as a specimen of T. rex, is accessioned at the Natural History Museum, London, where only the lower jaw is on display.

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c Ingram, Simon (12 May 2021). "'Titus' the T. rex is coming to the UK this summer. Here's why it's a big deal". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
^
ISSN 0261-3077. Archived
from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2023.

^ ^a ^b ^c "Nottingham's Wollaton Hall to host T. rex fossil in exhibition". BBC News. 28 April 2021. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Mounting the skeleton of 'Titus' the Tyrannosaurus rex". Natural-History-Conservation.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Burnham, David A.; Rothschild, Bruce M.; Nudds, John R. (2021). "A Paleontological Study of a New Specimen of Tyranosaurus rex Named "Titus" Nottingham Natural History Museum Specimen #NGMG 2022-7" (PDF). Wollaton Hall. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Larkin, Nigel R.; Dey, Steven; Smith, Adam A.; Evans, Rachael (2022). "21st Century Rex: maximising access to a privately owned Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in the digital age" (PDF). Geological Curator. 11 (6): 341–354. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2023.
^ Pinchess, Lynette (1 July 2021). "Real T. Rex descends on Nottingham in a world exclusive". NottinghamshireLive. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
^ Chao-Fong, Leonie (3 July 2021). "First Tyrannosaurus rex to be exhibited in England for more than a century". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

External links

Titus: T.Rex Is King, exhibition page, Wollaton Hall, 2022

[9] According to the National Geographic, the T. rex specimen Trix went on display briefly in Glasgow, Scotland, in the summer of 2019. In England, the holotype of Dynamosaurus imperiosus, now regarded as a specimen of T. rex, is accessioned at the Natural History Museum, London, where only the lower jaw is on display.

[:0-1] Ingram, Simon (12 May 2021). "'Titus' the T. rex is coming to the UK this summer. Here's why it's a big deal". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

[:3-2] 
ISSN 0261-3077. Archived
from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2023.

[:2-3] "Nottingham's Wollaton Hall to host T. rex fossil in exhibition". BBC News. 28 April 2021. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

[Natural_History_Conservation-4] "Mounting the skeleton of 'Titus' the Tyrannosaurus rex". Natural-History-Conservation.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

[:1-5] Burnham, David A.; Rothschild, Bruce M.; Nudds, John R. (2021). "A Paleontological Study of a New Specimen of Tyranosaurus rex Named "Titus" Nottingham Natural History Museum Specimen #NGMG 2022-7" (PDF). Wollaton Hall. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

[:4-6] Larkin, Nigel R.; Dey, Steven; Smith, Adam A.; Evans, Rachael (2022). "21st Century Rex: maximising access to a privately owned Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton in the digital age" (PDF). Geological Curator. 11 (6): 341–354. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2023.

[auto5-7] Pinchess, Lynette (1 July 2021). "Real T. Rex descends on Nottingham in a world exclusive". NottinghamshireLive. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2022.

[b1877553-8] Chao-Fong, Leonie (3 July 2021). "First Tyrannosaurus rex to be exhibited in England for more than a century". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.

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[2]

[3]

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+{{Short description|Dinosaur specimen}}{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
-<!-- Please do not remove or change this AfD message until the discussion has been closed. -->
+{{Infobox fossil
-{{Article for deletion/dated|page=Titus (dinosaur)|timestamp=20220628164522|year=2022|month=June|day=28|substed=yes}}
+|common name=Titus
-<!-- Once discussion is closed, please place on talk page: {{Old AfD multi|page=Titus (dinosaur)|date=28 June 2022|result='''keep'''}} -->
+|image=Titus the Tyrannosaurus rex, Wollaton Hall, Nottingham 02.jpg
-<!-- End of AfD message, feel free to edit beyond this point -->
+|caption=Titus on display at [[Nottingham Natural History Museum]] on July 21, 2021
-{{Short description|Dinosaur specimen}}
+|species=''[[Tyrannosaurus rex]]''
+|place discovered=[[Montana]], United States
+|date discovered=2014
+|discovered by=Craig Pfister
+|catalog number= The original fossil is in private hands. Casts of the fossils are accessioned in the Nottingham Natural History Museum as NCMG 2021–7
+|age=67-66 million years}}
+[[File:Titus the T rex.jpg|thumb|Size comparison and view from the front ]]
+'''Titus''' is an obsidian black skeleton of a ''[[Tyrannosaurus rex]]'' discovered in the [[Hell Creek Formation]], [[Montana]], United States in 2014 and excavated in 2018.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Ingram |first=Simon |date=12 May 2021 |title='Titus' the T. rex is coming to the UK this summer. Here's why it's a big deal |work=[[National Geographic]] |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2021/05/titus-the-t-rex-is-coming-to-the-uk-this-summer-heres-why-its-a-big-deal |url-status=live |access-date=2022-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418095241/https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2021/05/titus-the-t-rex-is-coming-to-the-uk-this-summer-heres-why-its-a-big-deal |archive-date=18 April 2023}}</ref>
+Titus was on display as the centrepiece of an exhibition at the [[Wollaton Hall|Nottingham Natural History Museum]], England, from July 2021 to August 2022.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Murray |first=Jessica |date=3 July 2021 |title=‘Real’ T rex goes on show in England for first time in over a century |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jul/03/real-t-rex-goes-on-show-in-england-for-first-time-in-over-a-century |url-status=live |access-date=18 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703070644/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jul/03/real-t-rex-goes-on-show-in-england-for-first-time-in-over-a-century |archive-date=3 July 2021 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> According to the [[Nottingham City Council]], it is also a rare instance of an actual ''Tyrannosaurus'' fossil leaving North America.<ref name=":2" /> The exhibit includes [[3D scanning|3D scanned replicas]] of the skeleton, which visitors can inspect and handle.<ref name="Natural History Conservation">{{cite web |title=Mounting the skeleton of 'Titus' the ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' |url=http://www.natural-history-conservation.com/TyrannosaurusRex.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702070018/http://www.natural-history-conservation.com/TyrannosaurusRex.htm |archive-date=2 July 2021 |access-date=30 June 2022 |website=Natural-History-Conservation.com}}</ref> He is named after the protagonist in Shakespeare's ''[[Titus Andronicus]].''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Burnham |first=David A. |last2=Rothschild |first2=Bruce M. |last3=Nudds |first3=John R. |date=2021 |title=A Paleontological Study of a New Specimen of ''Tyranosaurus rex'' Named “Titus” Nottingham Natural History Museum Specimen #NGMG 2022-7 |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TITUS-T.rex-Scientific-Report-Dec-2021.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308195724/https://wollatonhall.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TITUS-T.rex-Scientific-Report-Dec-2021.pdf |archive-date=8 March 2022 |access-date=2022-06-30 |publisher=Wollaton Hall |format=PDF}}</ref> The owner of Titus remains anonymous.<ref name=":0" />
-{{Taxobox
-| name = Tyrannosaurus Rex
-| regnum = Animala
-| phylum = Chordata
-| species = Tyrannosaurus Rex
-| common name = Titus
-| Museum Accession Number = NCMG 2021-7
-| Age = 66 million years
-| Place Discovered = Carter County, Montana, USA
-| Geology of discovery date = Hell Creek Formation
-| Date discovered = 2014
-| Discoverer = Craig Pfister
-}}
+==Description==
-'''Titus''' is the nickname<ref name="Titus T Rex scientific report" /> given to the obsidian black<ref name="Scientific-Report" /><ref name="National Geographic" /> skeleton of a [[Tyrannosaurus|Tyrannosaurus Rex]] (NCMG 2021–7) discovered in 2014<ref name="Scientific-Report" /><ref name="National Geographic" /> in Carter County<ref name="Titus T Rex scientific report" /> in the [[Montana|Montana Badlands]], USA..<ref name="exhibition-tickets">{{cite web |title=Titus: T. Rex is King exhibit |publisher=Wollaton Hall & Deer Park |url=https://wollatonhall.gigantic.com/titus-t-rex-is-king-exhibition-tickets}}</ref><ref name="b1877553">{{cite web |author=Leonie Chao-Fong |date=3 July 2021 |title=First Tyrannosaurus rex to be exhibited in England for more than a century |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tyrannosaurus-rex-exhibition-england-b1877553.html}}</ref> by professional paleontologist Craig Pfister<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/discovery-of-titus-trex/|title=Discovery of Titus the T. rex}}</ref> (who also discovered [[Specimens of Tyrannosaurus|'Tristan' the T Rex (MB.R.91216) in 2010).]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Tristan Otto |website=Museum für Naturkunde |url=https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/en/tristan-otto-0}}</ref>
+The mounted Titus skeleton measures {{convert|4|m|ft}} high and {{convert|11|m|ft}} long.<ref name=":3" /> It is named after the protagonist in Shakespeare's ''[[Titus Andronicus]]''.<ref name=":1"/> The skeleton comprises 59 preserved elements, representing about 20% of the bones in an adult ''T. rex''.<ref name=":4" /> External bone inspection has revealed injuries to Titus' right [[tibia]] (possibly a claw or bite wound); a deformed toe on the right foot; and a bitten and healed tail. The bite wound near the end of the tail indicates a possible attack by another ''Tyrannosaurus''.<ref name=":1"/>
+==Discovery==
-Fully restored and mounted,<ref name="Natural History Conservation"/> Titus is 20% complete<ref name="Titus T Rex scientific report"/> with 59 bones of the recognised international standard bone count of 300 bones for a T.Rex. This makes Titus the 16th most complete of all Tyrannosaurus Rex specimens granted museum accession numbers.<ref name="Titus T Rex scientific report"/>
+In September 2014, commercial [[Paleontology|paleontologist]] Craig Pfister first discovered the remains of Titus near [[Ekalaka, Montana|Ekalaka]], [[Carter County, Montana]]. The site was an ancient river channel whence the specimen may have been transported in a flood event which also winnowed the skeleton and may in part explain why only 20% of the bones were preserved.<ref name=":1" /> Pfister originally found a broken tibia, and said he knew right away that it belonged to a ''Tyrannosaurus rex,'' but was sidetracked by the discovery of a nearby ''[[Triceratops]].''<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Larkin |first=Nigel R. |last2=Dey |first2=Steven |last3=Smith |first3=Adam A. |last4=Evans |first4=Rachael |date=2022 |title=21st Century Rex: maximising access to a privately owned ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' skeleton in the digital age |url=https://plesiosauria.com/pdf/larkin_etal_2022_titus.pdf |url-status=live |journal=Geological Curator |volume=11 |issue=6 |pages=341-354 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418100701/https://plesiosauria.com/pdf/larkin_etal_2022_titus.pdf |archive-date=18 April 2023}}</ref> Excavation of the specimen began in 2018, and took 18 months.<ref name="auto5">{{Cite web |last=Pinchess |first=Lynette |date=2021-07-01 |title=Real T. Rex descends on Nottingham in a world exclusive |url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/whats-on/family-kids/real-t-rex-descends-nottingham-5595970 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418100146/https://www.nottinghampost.com/whats-on/family-kids/real-t-rex-descends-nottingham-5595970 |archive-date=18 April 2023 |access-date=25 March 2022 |website=NottinghamshireLive |language=en}}</ref>
+== Reconstruction and exhibition ==
-Titus is currently (2021-2022) the centrepiece of the 'Titus: T. Rex is King' exhibition at the [[Wollaton Hall|Nottingham Natural History Museum]], England.<ref name=wollatonhall>{{cite web |title=Titus: T. Rex is King |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/titus/#exhibition |publisher=Wollaton Hall & Deer Park}}</ref> 300,000 visitors are expected to attend<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://committee.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/documents/s115527/DD4122.pdf|title=Nottingham City Council Delegated Decision}}</ref> over the 13 months duration<ref name="exhibition-tickets"/> of the exhibition, which occupies 4,000 sq ft and required ₤250,000 of Arts Council England Funding<ref>{{cite web |title=ITV News Central |date=July 2021|url=https://www.itv.com/news/central/2021-07-01/the-sheer-size-takes-your-breath-away-nottingham-to-display-englands-first-real-t-rex-skeleton-in-over-a-century}}</ref>.
+[[File:At Wollaton Hall 2023 041.jpg|thumb|Titus at [[Wollaton Hall]] in 2023]]
+The bones of Titus were shipped to conservationist Nigel Larkin in the [[United Kingdom]], who assessed and conserved the bones. Larkin reconstructed the mount using a cast of the ''Tyrannosaurus'' specimen [[Stan (dinosaur)|Stan]] to supplement the known bones of "Titus", after scanning the bones using [[photogrammetry]] to create digital models that were [[3D printing|3D printed]] in [[gypsum]] for use in the exhibition, alongside the display of the real fossil skeleton.<ref name="Natural History Conservation"/><ref name=":4" /> For the exhibit at the Nottingham Natural History Museum at Wollaton Hall, Titus was reconstructed "in a walking mode, perhaps searching for prey or returning home after a hunt."<ref name=":1" /> The exhibition, titled "Titus: ''T. Rex'' is King", ran from 3 July 2021 to August 2022.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />
+According to the museum, this is the first time that a "real" fossilised ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' has been shown in England for more than 100 years.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |date=28 April 2021 |title=Nottingham's Wollaton Hall to host T. rex fossil in exhibition |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-56889834 |access-date=2022-06-30 |archive-date=1 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301205236/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-56889834 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="b1877553">{{cite web |author=Chao-Fong |first=Leonie |date=3 July 2021 |title=First ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' to be exhibited in England for more than a century |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tyrannosaurus-rex-exhibition-england-b1877553.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703100216/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tyrannosaurus-rex-exhibition-england-b1877553.html |archive-date=3 July 2021 |access-date=2022-06-30 |website=[[The Independent]] |newspaper=}}</ref>{{efn-ua|According to the ''National Geographic'', the ''T. rex'' specimen [[Trix (dinosaur)|Trix]] went on display briefly in [[Glasgow]], Scotland, in the summer of 2019. In England, the holotype of ''[[Tyrannosaurus#Skeleton discovery and naming|Dynamosaurus imperiosus]]'', now regarded as a specimen of ''T. rex'', is accessioned at the [[Natural History Museum, London]], where only the lower jaw is on display.}} According to the Nottingham city council, it is also a rare instance of an actual ''Tyrannosaurus'' fossil leaving [[North America]].<ref name=":2" />
-Titus is held in the collection of the Nottingham Natural History Museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=Titus: T. rex is King |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/titus/ |website=Wollaton Hall |access-date=28 June 2022}}</ref>
+== See also ==
-Paleontologist David Hone, Senior Lecturer of Zoology at Queen Mary University, London was charged with installing Titus at the exhibition- said: "Titus is an incredibly well-preserved specimen with important and unique pathologies that advance the science of Paleontology and out understanding of these iconic dinosaurs.<ref name=b1877553/><ref name="Real T rex"/>
+* [[Specimens of Tyrannosaurus]]
+* [[Timeline of tyrannosaur research]]
+==References==
-The exhibition marks Titus' world exhibition debut<ref name="Real T rex"/> and the first time that a real fossilised Tyrannosaurus Rex has been shown in England for more than 100 years.<ref name=wollatonhall/><ref>{{cite news |title=Nottingham's Wollaton Hall to host T. rex fossil in exhibition - BBC News |work=BBC News|date=28 April 2021|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-56889834}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |editor=Moohita Kaur Garg |date=July 3, 2021 |title=Titus the T-Rex goes on display in England, Science News |website=WION |url=https://www.wionews.com/science/titus-the-t-rex-goes-on-display-in-england-395589}}</ref>
+===Notes===
+{{Reflist|group=upper-alpha}}
+===Citations===
-== Rarity of Tyrannosaurus Rex Fossils ==
+{{reflist|30em}}
+== External links ==
-A scientific calculation of Tyrannosaurus Rex population density was published in Science<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Marshall |first=Charles R. |date=2021-04-16 |title=Absolute abundance and preservation rate of Tyrannosaurus Rex |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abc8300 |journal=Science |volume=372 |issue=6539 |pages=284–287 |doi=10.1126/science.abc8300 |pmid=33859033 |bibcode=2021Sci...372..284M |s2cid=233245062 |issn=0036-8075}}</ref> in April 2021, which details how rare it was for any T.Rex to become fossilised: "The fossil record accounts for just one in about every 80 million T.Rex.<ref>{{cite journal |title=How many T. rex ever existed? |journal=Nature|date=15 April 2021|doi=10.1038/d41586-021-00984-2|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00984-2#ref-CR1|last1=Kreier|first1=Freda|pmid=33859420|s2cid=233259154}}</ref>
+* [https://wollatonhall.org.uk/titus/ ''Titus: T.Rex Is King''], exhibition page, [[Wollaton Hall]], 2022
-== Exhibition ==
-The mounted skeleton of Titus is the centrepiece of a 4000sq ft<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |date=2021-07-01 |title=Nottingham to display England's first real T-Rex skeleton in over a century |url=https://www.itv.com/news/central/2021-07-01/the-sheer-size-takes-your-breath-away-nottingham-to-display-englands-first-real-t-rex-skeleton-in-over-a-century |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=ITV News |language=en}}</ref> exhibition entitled 'Titus: T.Rex is King' in the main Willoughby Room<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-04-28 |title=Nottingham's Wollaton Hall to host T. rex fossil in exhibition |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-56889834 |access-date=2022-03-22}}</ref> of the [[Wollaton Hall|Nottingham Natural History Museum, Wollaton Hall]], UK.<ref name=wollatonhall/> 'Wollaton Hall has an international reputation for rare dinosaur exhibits.<ref name="Real T rex"/>
+{{authority control}}
-Rachael Evans, the Museum's Development Manager of Nottingham City Museums said, 'even in skeleton form, Titus' power and presence is unmistakable. We have had to dedicate the largest room at Wollaton Hall just to him alone... The sheer size and scale of the skeleton takes your breath away'<ref name="auto2"/>.
+{{Portal bar|Dinosaurs|Montana}}
-The exhibition opened on Sunday 4th July 2021 and runs until August 2022.<ref name="exhibition-tickets"/> Visitors are taken through the paleontological story of Titus from discovery, through excavation, inspection, reconstruction, to exhibition.<ref name="Real T rex"/> as well as finding out 'a lot about how he lived, fought, survived and died<ref name="auto4">{{Cite web |last=Pinchess |first=Lynette |date=2021-07-01 |title=Real T. Rex descends on Nottingham in a world exclusive |url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/whats-on/family-kids/real-t-rex-descends-nottingham-5595970 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=NottinghamshireLive |language=en}}</ref>. Created by Nottingham-based [https://www.hotknife.co.uk/ Hot Knife Digital Media]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mike |title=Titus the T. rex Roars into View |url=https://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.uk/blog/_archives/2021/07/01/titus-the-t-rex-roars-into-view.html |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Everything Dinosaur Blog |language=en-US}}</ref>, interactive virtual displays using hands-free gesture technology allow visitors to 'create their own Titus' using virtual bones as well as view 3D scans of real Titus bones. A photo booth allows visitors to take 'selfies' alongside a virtual T.Rex head<ref name="auto4"/>.
-'A minimum of 300,000 visitors has been expected by Nottingham City Council<ref>{{Cite web |title=Titus the T-Rex goes on display in England, Science News |url=https://www.wionews.com/science/titus-the-t-rex-goes-on-display-in-england-395589 |website=wionews.com}}</ref>
-== Mounting ==
-Titus has been assembled and mounted by a team lead by conservator Nigel Larkin of Natural History Conservation.
-The mounted Titus skeleton measures 4 metres tall and 11 metres long<ref name="Real T rex"/> and weighs approximately 650kg (including its steel armature).<ref name="Natural History Conservation"/> Initial preparation of the bones and casts, assembly and mounting took a year; final mounting at Wollaton Hall 'took a team of people a week.<ref name="Natural History Conservation"/>
-== Discovery ==
-In September 2014,<ref name="Scientific-Report"/> paleontologist Craig Pfister first discovered the remains of Titus near the town of Ekalaka, Carter County, Montana:<ref name="Scientific-Report"/> 'I knew right away that I had discovered a Tyrannosaurus rex bone … The broken tibia was easily identifiable. But I didn't know if it was just a random bone.'<ref name="National Geographic"/>
-Pfister left the T. Rex find to pursue a Triceratops find on the same site. Four years later he returned to begin excavation in earnest in 2018.<ref name="National Geographic"/>
-== Excavation ==
-Excavation of Titus began in August 2018<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web |last=@NatGeoUK |date=2021-05-11 |title='Titus' the T. rex is coming to the UK this summer. Here's why it's a big deal |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2021/05/titus-the-t-rex-is-coming-to-the-uk-this-summer-heres-why-its-a-big-deal |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=National Geographic |language=en-gb}}</ref>. Pfister carried out a 'surface collection'c and drew a map of the site. He then began to dig, and discovered a Tyrannosaurus rex angular bone<ref name="auto3"/>; 'With its discovery I felt more confident that I was excavating a legitimate specimen<ref name="auto3"/>.'
-Excavation took 18 months<ref name="auto5">{{Cite web |last=Pinchess |first=Lynette |date=2021-07-01 |title=Real T. Rex descends on Nottingham in a world exclusive |url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/whats-on/family-kids/real-t-rex-descends-nottingham-5595970 |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=NottinghamshireLive |language=en}}</ref> under challenging physical circumstances:' … located in [a] low and often wet area, that occasionally produced swarms of extremely tenacious mosquitos … the area had very little natural shade or protection<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |last=@NatGeoUK |date=2021-05-11 |title='Titus' the T. rex is coming to the UK this summer. Here's why it's a big deal |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2021/05/titus-the-t-rex-is-coming-to-the-uk-this-summer-heres-why-its-a-big-deal |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=National Geographic |language=en-gb}}</ref>.'
-Pfister' ... couldn't use power tools as the ground was so hard it would have damaged the bones<ref name="auto5"/>.'
-With excavation complete, 'the skeleton was shipped over to the UK with the most delicate bones set in plaster for protection<ref name="auto5"/>.'
-== Stratigraphy ==
-Titus was excavated from the upper middle portion of the [[Hell Creek Formation|Hell Creek Formation]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-05 |title=Titus T. rex Scientific Report: Systematic Paleontology |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/titus-t-rex-scientific-report-systematic-paleontology/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Wollaton Hall |language=en-GB}}</ref>. The bones were 'found in an ancient river channel where the specimen originally may have been transported in a flood event and deposited onto a riverbank sometime after death<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Wollaton |title=Titus T-Rex scientific report |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TITUS-T.rex-Scientific-Report-Dec-2021.pdf}}</ref>.'
-== Identification ==
-Titus has been confirmed as a single specimen of Tyrannosaurus Rex by a paleontological team comprising David A. Burnham from the [[University of Kansas Natural History Museum|Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum of Kansas University, USA]], John Nudds from the [[Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester]] and Bruce M. Rothschild of the [[Carnegie_Museum_of_Natural_History|Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gregory |first=S. Paul |date=1994 |title=Tyrannosaurus rex |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200009370 |journal=The Paleontological Society Special Publications |volume=7 |pages=ii |doi=10.1017/s2475262200009370 |issn=2475-2622}}</ref>
-The team confirmed Titus as an adult Tyrannosaurus Rex on the basis of size comparison with skeletons established to be Tyrannosaurus Rex, as well as the [[Osteology|osteological]] specifics of, 'fused nasals and Metatarsal IV (plus see new characters described by Loewen et al., 2013<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Loewen |first1=Mark A. |last2=Irmis |first2=Randall B. |last3=Sertich |first3=Joseph J. W. |last4=Currie |first4=Philip J. |last5=Sampson |first5=Scott D. |date=2013-11-06 |title=Tyrant Dinosaur Evolution Tracks the Rise and Fall of Late Cretaceous Oceans |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=8 |issue=11 |pages=e79420 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0079420 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=3819173 |pmid=24223179|bibcode=2013PLoSO...879420L |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Burnham |first=David A. |title=A Paleontological Study on a new specimen of Tyrannosaurus Rex named "TITUS" |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TITUS-T.rex-Scientific-Report-Dec-2021.pdf}}</ref>).'
-== Paleopathology ==
-'Palaeopathology is the study of diseases and traumatic injuries in extinct animals and reveals great potential to provide insights into behavior ...<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Foth |first1=Christian |last2=Evers |first2=Serjoscha W. |last3=Pabst |first3=Ben |last4=Mateus |first4=Octávio |last5=Flisch |first5=Alexander |last6=Patthey |first6=Mike |last7=Rauhut |first7=Oliver W.M. |date=2015-05-12 |title=New insights into the lifestyle of Allosaurus (Dinosauria: Theropoda) based on another specimen with multiple pathologies |journal=PeerJ |volume=3 |pages=e940 |doi=10.7717/peerj.940 |issn=2167-8359 |pmc=4435507 |pmid=26020001}}</ref>'
-External bone inspection has revealed injuries to Titus' right tibia (possibly a claw or bite wound); a deformed toe on the right foot; and a 'bitten and healed tail ... the location of the bite near the end of the tail suggests an attack by another Tyrannosaurus Rex<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |date=2022-02-02 |title=Titus T. rex Scientific Report: Discussion |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/titus-t-rex-scientific-report-discussion/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Wollaton Hall |language=en-GB}}</ref>.'
-The paleontological team charged with the initial examination of Titus' remains has posited that Titus was killed and then partially eaten by another Tyrannosaurus Rex<ref name="auto1"/>. Evidence presented for this hypothesis comprise:
-#1 The elliptical puncture and V-shaped tooth drag mark on a caudal vertebra (which matches known Tyrannosaurus Rex teeth marks)<ref name="auto1"/>
-#2 The powerful bite forces exerted on the skeleton post mortem<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-05 |title=Titus T. rex Scientific Report: Results |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/titus-t-rex-scientific-report-results/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=Wollaton Hall |language=en-GB}}</ref>
-#3 The 'shed tyrannosaur tooth crown found along with the fossil remains<ref name="auto1"/>'
-== Photogrammetry ==
-All Titus' bones were scanned and rendered as 3D models by Steven Dey, founder of ThinkSee3D<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Wollaton |title=T.Rex Scientific Report; page 6 |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TITUS-T.rex-Scientific-Report-Dec-2021.pdf}}</ref>. The 'detailed 3D digital models were … shared with palaeontologists in America who were straight away able to study the bones and assess them for signs of pathology (injury and disease). Replicas of all of these bones were 3D printed by ThinkSee3D for use in the exhibition<ref>{{Cite web |title=Natural History Conservation specialists |url=http://www.natural-history-conservation.com/TyrannosaurusRex.htm |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=www.natural-history-conservation.com}}</ref>.'
-a) The date of Titus' discovery is widely reported as 2018<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bustos |first=Mark |title=First Tyrannosaurus Rex exhibit open in the UK after 100 years: Will it solve the feather-scale debate? |url=https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/32071/20210704/uk-reveals-first-tyrannosaurus-rex-exhibit-100-years.htm}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=titus t rex discovered 2018 - Google Search |url=https://www.google.com/search?q=titus+t+rex+discovered+2018 |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=www.google.com}}</ref>. Initial discovery took place in 2014, with the paleontologist, Craig Pfizer, returning to make complete discovery in 2018<ref name="auto" />
-b) Comprising a 'grant of £180,000 from Arts Council England's Culture Recovery Fund (an investment in activity to sustain and drive forward services after the impact of the pandemic) and existing Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation grant (exhibition budget)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Rachel |title=Nottingham City Counsil Delegated Decision |url=https://committee.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/documents/s115527/DD4122.pdf}}</ref>.'
-c) 'When collecting fossils to bring back to the lab, two different fossil collection methods are typically employed: (1) bulk collection of stratigraphically in-place fossil-containing sediment or rock, and (2) surface collection of loose, individual fossils that have weathered out of an outcrop<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Forcino |first1=Frank L. |last2=Stafford |first2=Emily S. |date=2020-02-11 |title=The influence of collection method on paleoecological datasets: In-place versus surface-collected fossil samples in the Pennsylvanian Finis Shale, Texas, USA |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=e0228944 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0228944 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=7012410 |pmid=32045457|bibcode=2020PLoSO..1528944F |doi-access=free }}</ref>.'
-== References ==
-{{reflist|refs=
-<ref name="Titus T Rex scientific report">{{Cite web|url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/titus-t-rex-scientific-report-systematic-paleontology/|title=Titus T. rex Scientific Report: Systematic Paleontology|date=January 5, 2022}}</ref>
-<ref name="Scientific-Report">{{cite web |title=A PALEONTOLOGICAL STUDY ON A NEW SPECIMEN OF TYRANNOSAURUS REX NAMED "TITUS" |url=https://wollatonhall.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/TITUS-T.rex-Scientific-Report-Dec-2021.pdf}}</ref>
-<ref name="National Geographic">{{cite web |author=Simon Ingram |date=12 May 2021 |title='Titus' the T. rex is coming to the UK this summer. Here's why it's a big deal |website=National Geographic |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2021/04/titus-the-t-rex-is-coming-to-the-uk-this-summer-heres-why-that-matters}}</ref>
-<ref name="Natural History Conservation">{{cite web |title=Mounting the skeleton of 'Titus' the ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' |website=Natural-History-Conservation.com |url=http://www.natural-history-conservation.com/TyrannosaurusRex.htm}}</ref>
-<ref name="Real T rex">{{cite web |author=Jessica Murray |date=3 July 2021|title='Real' T rex goes on show in England for first time in over a century |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/jul/03/real-t-rex-goes-on-show-in-england-for-first-time-in-over-a-century}}</ref>
-}}
-[[Category:2014 in paleontology]]
 [[Category:Paleontology in Montana]]
-[[Category:Dinosaur fossils]]
 [[Category:Tyrannosaurus]]
 [[Category:Cretaceous fossil record]]
+[[Category:Dinosaur fossils]]