Mighty Megatherium foils conservators
Today Sedgwick conservators attempted to reconstruct one of the
Megatherium fragments were some of
The exhibition team were understandably interested in displaying an example of this creature. Since the Sedgwick is not in possession of

It depicts Adam Sedgwick’s museum as it appeared before it was moved to its current site on
Although incomplete – a partial pelvis, one leg and a tail – the cast is housed in pieces at the Museum’s stores and is a historic mount that wound have greeted Queen Victoria when she visited the old museum on its opening as well as Charles Darwin when he accompanied his old mentor to visit old friends in Cambridge.
However, piecing together this gargantuan fragment has proven no easy task. An attempt made earlier this week had conservators exhausted and baffled. ‘It looks like some pieces are still to be found and it will take at least four people to hold the metal frame in place while the partial skeleton is fully assembled’ reports conservator Esther Sharp. Another attempt has been scheduled for mid-August.
Once the Megatherium cast has been reassembled measurements can be taken and the design team can decide how best to display these distinctive and fascinating pieces of

