ROMKids Artventures: Stegosaurus and the Bone Wars

BONE-jour Artventures! Today we’re morphing into dinosaurs as we create our very own Stegosaurus plate costume!

While you’re getting set up, join us on a ROAR-some adventure as we travel back to the 1800s and learn all about palaeontology’s most controversial duo and the bone they had to pick with each other. Then, learn all about the Stegosaurus and pay special attention to its spiky back for your costume!

Materials

• Scissors
• Paintbrush
• Paint (Acrylic or tempera)
• Stapler/glue/tape
• Hole puncher (single hole)
• String or Yarn

Cardboard egg cartons (if you want two sets of plates like a Stegosaurus, you will need two egg cartons) 
Grab all of the materials you will need for the craft. Make sure you protect your work surface. Today’s craft might get messy, so consider wearing an old shirt or smock that you don’t mind getting dirty. 

In the late 1800s, renowned American palaeontologists, Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, began fighting in a battle of brains, known today as “The Bone Wars.”

After multiple disagreements, the two started stealing fossils, spying, bribing, lying, and even destroying worksites with dynamite! Cope got so mad, that he leaked Marsh’s attacks to the press, and the two became the focus of tabloid chaos.

In the aftermath, Marsh lost his job, his funding, and his collection was repossessed—leaving him powerless, penniless, and fossil-less. Cope faced similar problems. His reputation was ruined so he couldn’t find a buyer for his expensive fossil collection

Everyone makes mistakes. At the beginning of the Bone Wars, Cope once placed the skull of his Elasmosaurus discovery on the creature’s tail, thinking it was the neck.

Out of this petty war, O.C. Marsh introduced the world to Stegosaurus—a dinosaur best known for its two rows of spike-like plates running down its back!

At first, Marsh was puzzled by these plates—thinking they joined together to create a protective shell or that they were wrist spikes, used for defence. Eventually, Marsh realized that the plates lined the animal’s back.

Even today, the purpose of these plates is a curiosity. In the past, palaeontologists believed they offered armour-like protection. However, nowadays, studies suggest they may have been too delicate. Instead, Stegosaurus uses its terrifying tail spikes for fighting off predators.

Other research suggests the back plates may have regulated the dinosaur’s body temperature. This is called thermoregulation—the same way humans sweat on hot summer days to cool down, these plates could hold or release heat so Stegosaurus could stay warm or cold. Further theories suggest that the plates could have also been used in mating, as identity markers, and even to scare other animals!

Think about this...

Focus on Solving Problems

In science, it is important to always tell the truth and work hard to publish accurate information. Don’t get caught up in chaos and rivalry. 

Hold People Accountable

Even though Cope and Marsh are important scientists, they also disrupted the scientific community, damaged fossils, and published incorrect findings. In any field, even if people do ground-breaking work, that doesn’t erase bad behaviour. 

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

It’s through collaboration and careful study that palaeontologists can uncover new information about our beloved dinosaurs. Scientists should all uphold strong standards to ensure careful study and discovery comes before personal quarrels or fame.

Stegosaurus was first discovered by O.C. Marsh in 1877, in Colorado, USA. The ROMs Stegosaurus was found in Utah, USA. However, Stegosaurus fossils have been unearthed across North America

Calling all mini palaeontologists! When you next come to the ROM, begin your exploration in our dinosaur gallery to unearth our prehistoric pals for this ROMKids Challenge!

Can you spot our spiky Stegosaurus friend sneaking around our dinosaur gallery? How about its fearsome and fascinating neighbours from the Late Jurassic—the Barosaurus and Allosaurus? 

Stegosaurus is often called the “armoured dinosaur.” What types of armour can you find around the museum? Travel extra slow to find the shelled leatherback turtle in our biodiversity gallery. Trek over to the European gallery in search of the chivalrous Knight’s cuirass. Then, journey to Korea and see if you can find the brigandine armour.