World's Most Complete Dinosaur On Display

Once upon a time, in a far away land, Sophie was a happy dinosaur that freely roamed about her kingdom, snacking on plants and shrubs, with her magnificent horned tail swinging behind her to swat away any annoying predators. Today, however, one can find and admire her in the aptly named Earth Hall, in her new home at the Natural History Museum in London.

Sophie was reportedly found in 2003 in the United States inside the Red Canyon Ranch in Wyoming. Her bones were carefully dug up and identified by paleontologist Bob Simon. According to the Natural History Museum's chief paleontologist, Professor Paul Barrett, Sophie exited nearly 150 million years ago and was in her prime when she probably succumbed to the elements. Sophie's stature (5.6 metres long and 2.9 metres tall) indicates that she was smaller in size than her fellow dinosaurs. Her beauty comes not from her size, but her almost completely intact bones that show her in all magnificent grandeur. The fact that 85 percent of her skeletal structure is intact makes Sophie an almost priceless beauty.

The paleontology team at the Natural History Museum has cause to celebrate with a hearty "yabba dabba doo." Acquiring a stegosaurus specimen as unspoiled and intact as Sophie has to be considered a fantastic achievement. The museum is reported to have acquired the fossil by the generous donations of several patrons, the most important of whom is a wealthy hedge fund manager, Jeremy Herrmann. It is his daughter that Sophie is named after. Although the scientists at the museum are not entirely sure of the gender of this wonderful fossil, they chose to believe she is a female.

Researchers have been quite eager to study Sophie to discover more about the movements and behaviour of Stegosaurus dinosaurs. It is reported that the paleontology team of the museum is looking forward to unearthing more facts regarding the purpose and uses of the 19 back plates on Sophie's spine; which to date is still a mystery to the scientific community.

Sophie has been placed for public display at the museum's Exhibition Road entrance. One can almost imagine her with her jaws open in a silent majestic roar and her tail curved up, dominating the room and fascinating the visitors with her beauty.