05/29/2026
Happy ! 🦖
Visitors passing through the library’s first floor can catch a glimpse of an impressive sneak peek of the future 5th-floor Museum of Natural History: a cast of an Allosaurus hand.
To put this Jurassic predator into perspective, it stretched about 28 feet from head to tail. That is longer than a standard school bus!
Here are a few quick facts about this formidable dinosaur:
A Jurassic Icon: Living millions of years before Tyrannosaurus rex, Allosaurus was the ultimate two-legged, meat-eating apex predator of its era.
Stegosaurus for Dinner: Fossil evidence shows these dinosaurs actively hunted Stegosaurus. With a bite force comparable to a modern wolf, they were highly efficient hunters.
Potential Pack Hunters: Because they were smaller than later giant theropods, some paleontologists speculate that Allosaurus may have hunted in packs to bring down massive, long-necked sauropods.
The display, curated by Syd Joheim, offers a fascinating break from studying and a preview of the incredible exhibits coming to the 5th floor.
Photos by Kylie Colter.
Qrtistic representations of Allosaurus by Fred Wierum.