Big Al

Big Al is the name given to a fossilized Allosaurus fragilis skeleton that was found near Howe Quarry (Bighorn County, Wyoming), a member of the Morrison Formation, in 1991. The skeleton was unusually well preserved &mdash; over 95 percent of the bones were found &mdash; and they were all in the same positions as when the animal had died. It measured about 7.5-8 meters (24-26 feet) in length. Nineteen of the bones showed signs of pathology, and were either broken or showed evidence of infection, which probably contributed to Big Al's death. This completeness of this skeleton gave Big Al its name &mdash; the individual itself was below the average size for Allosaurus fragilis, and may have been a subadult or represent a new, smaller species. The specimen was described by Breithaupt in 1996.

In popular culture
The Big Al skeleton inspired "The Ballad of Big Al", a special program in the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs series. It recreated how Big Al might have lived, and sustained the injuries seen in its remains.