Jingshanosauri by the numbers

Artcraft Display Graphics Inc. recently played host to two large dinosaurs from China. The disarticulated bones of an adult and juvenile Jingshanosaurus unearthed in Yunnan Province were shipped to Artcraft in November. Jingshanosaurus is a rare Jurassic prosauropod – these giant plant eaters were an early form of dinosaur that eventually evolved into the better known sauropods.

Two Chinese paleontologists travelled to Vancouver with the dinosaurs to reconstruct the skeletons, with Artcraft staff assistance. The bones arrived in numerous crates full of foam trays; each bone was numbered to follow a large printed key. Armatures to hold the giant bones were welded and painted by Artcraft fabricators. A lot of work still had to be done on the missing bone fragments. The paleontologists sculpted foam insert pieces, painted them with a hard epoxy resin and then faux painted them.

The final result was two reconstructed dinosaur skeletons, the largest one being 5 meters long and 4 metres high. They were then carefully cradled in foam, packaged into sturdy wooden crates and shipped to the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. Working with actual 300-million-year-old bones was very exciting for everyone at Artcraft. This was a rare opportunity to see, touch and be part of a unique part of the earth’s history.