The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia played a huge role in our early understanding of dinosaurs. It was one of the home bases of Edward Drinker Cope who, along with Othniel Marsh, was the preeminent expert on fossils during the turn of the 20th century. Today the museum still boasts a great collection of skeletons along with this unique Stegosaurus statue that displays the animal’s organ placement and brain cavity. I’ve never seen anything like like it in any other museum. The size of the lungs, stomach, and heart give you a real appreciation of the enormous amount of energy it takes to fuel the body of a creature that big. It’s amazing that Stegosaurus could get that much food through its tiny head every day. What a hero!
Philadelphia, PA – The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
