Dinosaur Sighting: Old “Brontosaurus”

By now most everybody knows that the old restorations of snub-nosed, tail-dragging, swamp-dwelling "Brontosaurus" were woefully incorrect, but I have to admit I have a soft spot for such out-of-date dinosaur imagery. It was part of my introduction to dinosaurs, and I am glad that when the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science revamped its venerable Dinosaur Trail last year, curators there decided to keep "Brontosaurus" for nostalgia's sake. (Though, for a short time before the grand opening, the dinosaur lost its head.) This photo, taken by Erik Washam, shows the sculpture as it stood last December. The next time I visit the Tar Heel State, I may just have to stop by to see it.

Riley Black | | READ MORE

Riley Black is the author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs and many other books. She is a science correspondent for Smithsonian magazine covering fossils and natural history, and she writes about the prehistoric past for a variety of publications.