End of the road for a diplodocus dinosaur – it goes into retirement after 110-years

#diplodocus #NaturalHistoryMuseum #bluewhale #dinosaur It must come as a surprise to know that a diplodocus dinosaur is slated to go into retirement after having served a noble cause for 110 years - this 21st century dinosaur was actually a model in the British Natural History Museum and has been a source of inspiration for visitors for over a century.
It is known to schoolchildren as Dippy and the bosses at the London institution have taken a decision to remove the 83ft long exhibit since it is no longer relevant enough to enjoy pride of place in their great entrance hall.
The model of the diplodocus dinosaur would be replaced by that of the skeleton of a giant blue whale – it would be a more appropriate reminder of ‘our responsibility to the planet’ and, tis change is believed to be a ‘decade of transformation’ that has been planned at the museum by its director, Sir Michael Dixon.
The diplodocus exhibit was first unveiled in 1905 and is, basically, a model made up of 356 plaster cast bones. However, from the summer of 2017, it will make way for the 83ft long real skeleton of a blue whale. It would be suspended in a diving motion from the ceiling of the central Hintze Hall.
The whale would not be a new entrant to the Museum – it used to earlier be the centerpiece of the Mammal Hall, and was a resident of the museum since 1891. It is a symbol of environmental destruction and hope, as indicated by Sir Michael.