Symposium – Discovering Dippy: The Dinosaur That Changed the World

Enjoy a day of talks about our beloved mascot by scientists, historians, and museum professionals.

Become an expert on the past, present, and future of research and discovery of Pittsburgh’s favorite dinosaur – the one and only Dippy! Talks by leading scientists, historians, and museum professionals will get you acquainted with a whole new side of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s beloved mascot.

Speakers include, Tom Rea, the author of Bone Wars: The Excavation and Celebrity of Andrew Carnegie’s Dinosaur, Dr. John Whitlock, one of the world’s experts on Diplodocus carnegii and its relatives, Dr. Aja Carter, a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University who uses robots to investigate the biology of extinct animals, Phil Fraley, the renowned artist and museum professional who led the remounting of Dippy, T. rex, and more for our Dinosaurs in Their Time exhibition, and our very own dinosaur researchers Dr. Sarah Davis and Dr. Matt Lamanna.

Come for one lecture or stay for the day! All dino-enthusiasts, aspiring scientists, natural history lovers, and friends of the museum are welcome to help us celebrate Dippy’s discovery 125 years ago.

Friday, July 12, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Register Now

Schedule:

10-10:30 a.m. – Check-in

10:30-10:40 a.m. – Welcome remarks

10:40-11:30 a.m. – “Boneheads and Brilliant Men: The Discovery and Celebrity
of Andrew Carnegie’s Dinosaur” – Tom Rea, Author/journalist (retired)

11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. – “Resurrecting a Titan: What We Know About the Life of Dippy,
and How We Know It” John Whitlock, Associate Professor, Mount Aloysius College

12:20-1:10 p.m. – Lunch break

1:10-2:00 p.m. – “Motion from Stone: The Dawn of Paleobionics” –  Aja Carter, Postdoctoral fellow, Carnegie Mellon University

2:00-2:50 p.m. –  “Reimagining the Carnegie Dinosaurs” –  Phil Fraley, Founder/owner/CEO (retired), Phil Fraley Productions

2:50-3:10 p.m. – Coffee break

3:10-4:00 p.m. – “How Colorful Was Dippy? Deciphering the Appearance of Extinct Dinosaurs” – Sarah Davis, Collection Manager of Vertebrate Paleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History

4:00-4:50 p.m. – Where the Wild Things Are: The Strange Southern Hemisphere Cousins of Diplodocus carnegii” – Matt Lamanna, Mary R. Dawson Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History

4:50-5:00 p.m. – Closing remarks