Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week

Just over a year ago, in his write-up of the Edinburgh SVPCA, Matt included a photo of me standing in front of a Giant Irish Elk (Megaloceros), positioned so that the antlers seem to be growing out of my head. Matt finished his post with a background-free version of that photo, and commented:

… so he can be dropped right into posters, slide shows, and other works of science and art. I really, really hope that he turns up in conference talks and other presentations in the months and years to come. If so, send us a photo documenting his miraculous apparition and we’ll show it to the world.

It has come to pass.

Last week, Vladimir Socha gave a presentation about “famous paleontologists” during the “Night of the Scientists” event:

(I think that’s Bakker on the left of the slide.)

Here’s one of his slides:

Yep. That’s the Queen of England at the top, and me, her subject, beneath. With antlers.

Here’s a cleaner version of the slide that Vladimir sent me:

Apparently the text translates as:

Paleontologists should have a sense of humour, too. On the internet, this is largely shown for example by british computer programmer and sauropod expert Michael P. Taylor (*1968).

So there you go. I made it into “famous paleontologists”, ahead of a vast number of far worthier candidates, because of my antlers.

I think there’s a lesson there for all of us.

But I’m darned if I know what it is.