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The Bible and Science:
Megatherium
Megatherium is the ancient giant ground sloth. A team from the Smithsonian including Arlton Murray travel to Panama to find and dig up a giant ground sloth called Megatherium. They search through the dirt for bones.
When the bones are dug up they are covered with plaster to preserve them from damage on their way back to the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.
The plaster jackets are then boxed in crates and shipped back to Washington, DC.
In the preparation lab the plaster jacket is removed, and then all the dirt surrounding the bones is also removed.
Below is the shoulder blade of the giant sloth when all the dirt is removed. In the middle of the picture is a ground sloth's shoulder blade we find today. Note how small it is compared to the Megatherium's shoulder blade.
The bones are then reassembled. Iron bars are used to hold up the skeleton. Arlton Murray is on the right, and Norman Boss is on the left.
Now the completed skeleton of Megatherium is ready for display.
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