Can I tell you the funniest thing that's ever happened to me?

[Ediacara]

And then I want to know if you guys think this is funny. I have told this story to my nerdy paleontologist friends and they think it's a laugh riot. My other friends though.... they are less than impressed.

Let me set up the story by saying this: At the time, I worked as a volunteer in a thing called the Fossil Bank at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman MT. The Fossil Bank is a little room with an open window to the regular exhibits in the dinosaur hall, in that room volunteers clean fossils and talk to museum visitors. In the fall of 2001, the Museum installed a bronze statue of a Tyrannosaurus rex named "Big Mike" in its front lawn. This is me and the statue. Pay particular attention to what I'm touching with my hand, it's a hip bone called the pubis (plural is, I shit you not, pubes).



So anyway, I am in the Fossil Bank, and another volunteer (amazingly ALSO named Peter) is there with me. This guy, maybe 30-35 years old walks up to us and kind of leans in the window and says, "Hey guys, I have a question."

"Ok."

"You know that dinosaur out front?"

"Big Mike?"

"Ya, the Tyrannosaurus...."

"Uh huh."

"What's that thing?" He looks around, like he's hiding, "what's that thing... ya know?"

We both are confused by this question.

He then leans in a little further, looks around again and says, "What's that thing hanging down from its hips?" and motions with his fingers up and down. He then looks around again and becomes almost silent, "Is that the, uh..... is that the dinosaur's wang?"

Ok, and so it's at this point that my nerdy friends erupt in laughter. Peter and I had a very hard time not erupting in laughter as well. My non-paleo friends though.... they think there is some other punchline, something even funnier.

So..... is this funny, or am I just a nerd?

[Mikimouse]

1. It is funny, and kinda sad too...

There is so much to be interested in, and they guy chooses to look at the Rex's wang? Ahhhhhhhhhh, sigh!

[Ediacara]

2. Well.....

To be honest, mammals have very odd hips (with respect to other tetrapods), but the dude I am sure only has experience with human hip bones (if that), so a 4 foot long projection coming out of the hips..... I suppose could make one curious.

[Kali]

4. Baculum

"penis bone" - hey maybe the guy was more into mammals?

[Ediacara]

5. LOL

Possibly, dinosaurs had no baculi though..... And really, if you wanna get technical, its penis would be behind the ischium, the other bone hanging down from the hips.

[seriousstan]

3. So this guy thinks boner refers to the penis bone?

[Swede]

6. Ross! Ross Geller,is that you?

Where you been my friend.

[TroubleMan]

7. They don't call you Dinoboy for nothing!!!

LOL...sorry.

[mr_hat]

8. Dinosaur penises are just a test of faith.

[NightTrain]

9. No.

:evilgrin:

[Ediacara]

10. kick for the morning crew

:kick:

[Ediacara]

11. kick again

come on, it's not that early :-)

:kick: