Berlin's big dino skeleton back on display

The giant Brachiosaurus first went on display in 1937 after being unearthed by German paleontologists in Africa, The Independent noted on Saturday.

It's now on display with the skeleton of an Archaeopteryx -- which is said to be 150 million years old -- along with five other dinosaurs' remains.

The exhibit, titled "Evolution in Action," marks the first stage of the renovation of the building, which had been in serious decay since being bombed during World War II.

Also in the Berlin museum's collection are 130,000 bird specimens, which include some 50 nearly extinct examples that were collected in Hawaii by Captain Cook. the museum also houses the world's largest collection of beetles.

Most of the museum's collection is stored in upstairs rooms and hasn't been touched since the era of Germany's last Kaiser, the newspaper said.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International