Skeletal mount of female Western Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla).
This female Gorilla skeleton was purchased in 1909 from the famous London taxidermy company Edward Gerrard & Sons. The specimen was mounted in an upright position and doesn't reflect the usual knuckle-walking stance of the living animal. An upright posture was commonly used when mounting great apes in the 19th and early 20th Century. The intention may have been to make specimens look more imposing or perhaps to highlight the similarities between the other apes and humans. Alternatively, it may reflect the early lack of understanding of the behaviour of live Gorillas, relying on human posture to inform the mounting process.
