Cast Specimens
Over the years there have been many commercial and scientific casts made of pterosaur specimens. Some are produced for museums and others are produced for sale to the public. Here are some of the most significant castings of specimens which may be found in museums and collections, in association with events of the times;
| 1851 | The Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, London, displayed pterosaurs and illustrations to a large audience for the first time. |
| 1857 | The British Museum reading room is opened in response to the 1851 Copyright Act to become a repository for every book published in Britain. This enabled more effective research to be carried out in all subjects. |
| 1859 | Charles Darwin published his "Origin of Species..." Most of the 1,250 copies had been sold in advance of publication. |
| 1870 | The education act establishes rights for all children to go to school. |
| 1871 | Charles Darwin published his "Descent of Man" |
| 1880 | A series of pterosaur casts were commissioned for sale throughout Europe. Purchases were made by many U.K. museums. |
| 1882 | A cast of Rhamphorhynchus phyllurus is produced showing the wing membrane intact. |
| 1887 | Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. |
| 1888 | The Local Government Act established 62 county councils throughout the U.K. |
| 1897 | Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. |
| 1901 | Harry G. Seeley published his book, "Dragons of the Air" which sold out in one week. This was the first commercial publication on pterosaurs. |
| 1901-2 | Further pterosaur casts were produced in light of new finds. |
| 1904 | Fingerprinting introduced into police forces. |
| 1918 | British women are allowed to vote for the first time. |
| 1924 | The British Empire Exhibition is broadcast by wireless to all parts of the country. |
| 1926 | The first public telephone service begins. (2 million subscribers by 1934.) |
| 1953 | Crick, Watson and Roslyn discover the structure of DNA. |
| 1965 | Casts of pterosaurs were made using new technology methods. |
| 1990 | Photographic overlays were used in Germany to enhance the colour of casts. |
Since then, a wide range of cast material has been exchanged by museums and universities throughout the world. Many major collections feature cast material from around the world.
(updated 2012)