There's only one place to get a 3-D cast of the Cretaceous fish Xiphactinus.
Triebold Paleontology digs the fish bones from the Niobrara Chalk of Kansas and prepares them into some of the worlds most impressive fish fossils.
The bones are first removed from the ground in plaster jackets. In the lab, the bones are removed from matrix one by one. It involves very meticulous work like a giant puzzle.
The individual bones are cleaned and prepared and the assembly of the skeleton begins. There are several dozen bones in the skull alone.
When complete, the mounted specimen almost comes back to life.
Scientific Name: Xiphactinus
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteichthyes
Niobrara Chalk
Casts are available from the Worldwide Museum Giftshop. Museum and collector inquiries invited!
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