dinosaur resurrection transporting a 77-million-year-old, “mummified” dinosaur across the...

Dinosaur Resurrection

Transporting a 77-million-year-old, “mummified” dinosaur

across the country

Background: Who is Leonardo?A Brachylophosaurus Canadensis (duck-billed dinosaur) is discovered by the Judith River Dinosaur Institute in Malta, Mont., on July 27, 2000. Dubbed “Leonardo,” this fossil is one of only four existing Brachylophosaurus specimens identified to date.

Background: Who is Leonardo?According to the Guinness Book of Records, Leonardo is the most complete, reticulated dinosaur ever unearthed. Around 90 percent of the “mummified” dinosaur is covered with fossilized soft tissue.

Background: Who is Leonardo?The dinosaur has been remarkably preserved over the eons, so paleontologists suspect there would be fossilized organs within the torso of the creature. This close-up of the fossil shows Leonardo’s ribs.

Background: Who is Leonardo?Paleontologists believe Leonardo was about four years old when it died more than 77 million years ago. The science team suspects there would be fossilized organs within the torso of the dinosaur, but they needed state-of-the-art equipment to successfully scan the fossil.

Background: Who is Leonardo?A member of the science team solicits help from Sealed Air’s packaging experts to create a protective packaging solution to safely transport the fragile fossil more than 2,000 miles across the country from Malta, Mont., to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston where the fossil could be scanned.

Creating a Protective Packaging SolutionBill Armstrong, technical development manager for Sealed Air Corp., works with a team of other packaging experts from Sealed Air, International Safe Transit Association, Lansmont Corp. and the U.S. Navy to develop a custom package design.

Testing: July 2007Two tons of shingles are loaded into a truck as part of a test run to measure the shock and vibration environment for the route. The truck bed is monitored with GPS-enabled instrumentation which records the shocks, bumps and vibrations experienced and to determine where, on the route, each event occurred.

Testing: July 2007A 1,500-mile round-trip test run measures bumps, shocks and vibrations along the route.

Testing: July 2007The test run successfully measures the amount of disturbances the package received throughout the trip so the Sealed Air team knows exactly the types of conditions Leonardo would have to withstand.

Testing a Protective Packaging SolutionThe packaging team uses sandstone samples in Sealed Air’s packaging dynamics lab in Danbury, Conn., to run various tests to determine which packaging solution would best perform on Leonardo’s 2,000-mile journey.

Designing a Protective Packaging SolutionAfter development and testing in the packaging design center, the team travels back to Malta, Mont., to implement the packaging solution, which begins with a sturdy base.

Designing a Protective Packaging SolutionAfter the base is created, the packaging team raises the fossil on jacks and lines it up with the base. The dinosaur is almost as wide as the truck, so the measurements of the crate need to be precise.

Designing a Protective Packaging SolutionThe fossil is shrink-wrapped with Sealed Air’s CorTuff® high-abuse shrink film to stabilize the fragile surface.

Designing a Protective Packaging SolutionAfter the film is successfully shrink-wrapped around the fossil, the team begins to construct the crate around the dinosaur.

Designing a Protective Packaging SolutionThe fossil is then blocked and braced on the base using Sealed Air’s Instapak® foam.

Designing a Protective Packaging SolutionAfter the fossil is secure in the crate, the team carefully assembles the top.

Designing a Protective Packaging SolutionA piece of Leonardo’s tail is packed in a separate box and mounted atop the main crate.

The Finished PackageLeonardo is ready for shipment. It will travel 2,000 miles across the country from Malta, Mont., to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Final Destination: February 2008After a 2,000 mile journey, Leonardo arrives at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Final Destination: February 2008The team carefully begins unpacking the crate to determine if Leonardo arrived safely. The head paleontologist on the science team says, “Not a grain of sand was out of place.”

Final Destination: February 2008Shortly after unpacking the crate, the science team with support from NASA scans the fossil to determine if the fossilized organs are indeed intact. The scanning takes place under strict security, with the findings to be revealed when Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy debuts on Discovery HD.

Documentary Debut: Findings Revealed

Discovery HDSunday, Sept. 14

9 p.m. EST

For more information or high-resolution images

Contact: Rachel Hadley404.266.7502

[email protected]

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dinosaur resurrection transporting a 77-million-year-old, “mummified” dinosaur across the...

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