Even though the massive skull of the horned dinosaur Ceratops with its ornamented and spined neck frill looks quite threatening, it was a rather harmless herbivorous animal. The imposing skull was discovered in 75-million-years-old deposits in Montana, USA, and its cast was recently purchased from the Black Hills Institute, South Dakota. It represents the most complete skull of the dinosaur genus Ceratops ever found.

More dangerous for their coevals have been the so called terror birds. These birds were carnivorous and predominantly unable to fly, but agile and fast running hunters. Their massive and hooked beaks were killing weapons. The largest species reached up to 3 meters in height. One representative of the terror birds was Paraphysornis, who lived about 25 million years ago in South America.
The NHM Vienna proudly presents the first feathered life size model of a terror bird, which was manufactured in the ateliers of the zoological preparatory of the NHM Vienna. It took the modelling expert Iris Rubin more than 800 hours to revive the terror bird Paraphysornis.

Likewise, the new dino-DVD, a coproduction of the software company 7reasons and the NHM Vienna, resurrects dinosaurs and its kin. Interactive models of 25 extinct reptiles can be manipulated on your screen to let these animals run or fly. Short films and mini games show both the animals in their habitat, their cataclysmic extinction and also the development of the digital models. Furthermore, sitting at your home desk one can make a virtual circuit through the dinosaur hall of the NHM Vienna.

The impressive skull of the horned dinosaur as well as the first feathered life size model of a terror bird are on display since 27th of November in the exhibit halls VIII and XI.
The new dino-DVD is available for 19.90 € in the Museums shop or via Amazon.de