Scrubbing-up ancient skeletons
How chemistry keeps museum exhibits frozen in time
Gazing at old family photographs, I sometimes feel like a time-traveller behind a window looking directly into the past, to a moment frozen in time. I am always struck by the same emotions when walking through museums and galleries. Gigantic fossils of mammals and birds are placed into poses they may have once adopted when roaming the Earth.
Unlike the objects in photographs however, museum exhibits are not in fact stuck in the past. Over the years, dust and other contaminants settle on their fragile frames, while the poses they strike weaken their bones. Chemistry holds the key to preserving them.
Conservators at the Grant Museum of Zoology, University College London, UK, are undertaking a major conservation project of 39 of their rarest skeletons. Among the collection are the strange remains of an ariid catfish, the head of which resembles a crucifix, and one of the rarest skeletons in the world, the extinct quagga – a half-striped zebra. In many cases the skeletons are irreplaceable.
Thanks for using Education in Chemistry. You can view one Education in Chemistry article per month as a visitor.
Register for Teach Chemistry for free, unlimited access
Registration is open to all teachers and technicians at secondary schools, colleges and teacher training institutions in the UK and Ireland.
Get all this, plus much more:
- unlimited access to resources, core practical videos and Education in Chemistry articles
- teacher well-being toolkit, personal development resources and online assessments
- applications for funding to support your lessons
Already a Teach Chemistry member? Sign in now.
Not eligible for Teach Chemistry? Sign up for a personal account instead, or you can also access all our resources with Royal Society of Chemistry membership.