The Museum of Osteology (i.e., the study of bones) offers this presentation on skeletal preparation, revealing the meticulous process of transforming animal remains into awe-inspiring exhibits. The museum’s unsung heroes, flesh-eating beetles, play a crucial role in cleaning and defleshing the bones, leaving behind pristine skeletons. Gain an appreciation for the delicate balance between nature’s decomposers and skilled museum staff, along with admiration for the wonders of the animal kingdom.
Meet Your Presenter: Ashley Mason-Burns-Meerschaert is the Director of Education & Museum Operations for SKELETONS: Museum of Osteology located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ashley develops the programs and curriculum for the museum and assists in the museum’s collection of over 7,000 specimens. Ashley began self-teaching skeletal processing and articulation in 2012 and joined the Museum of Osteology’s Orlando, Florida, location upon its opening in 2015. In 2018, Ashley relocated to Oklahoma City, to the museum’s flagship location and headquarters of Skulls Unlimited, Inc. Her favorite programs to teach at the museum include Forensic Pathology and Forensic Osteology, which combines her love of criminal justice and bones.