Natural History Museum corrects display after 10-year-old spots they used the wrong dinosaur

When Charlie Edwards told his mum that one of the signs at the Natural History Museum was wrong, she told him to leave it to the experts.

But the 10-year-old stuck to his guns, insisting the world-famous museum had made a gaffe and included the picture of the wrong dinosaur.

It turns out the smart schoolboy was right, with museum bosses confirming that they had indeed made a mistake and would put it right.

Charlie, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was four, visited the museum’s ‘Dino-Snores’ sleepover with nine-year-old brother Ronnie as a joint surprise birthday present, sleeping inside the museum with mum and dad Jade and Justin Edwards and getting involved in numerous events, including a hunt for dinosaur-themed clues.

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Charlie said: “I read one sign that had an egg but also showed the full dinosaur side-by-side comparison to a human and I saw the shape of it was wrong.

“It was claimed to be an Oviraptor but it looked like an early dinosaur of the Triceratops family. I knew it was wrong straight away.”

Mum Jade, 29, said they had been sceptical when Charlie told them the museum was using the wrong picture.

“We said to him, ‘Charlie, this is the Natural History Museum, they’re the experts, they don’t get these thing wrong’, but he was adamant. He told us ‘no, give me your phone and I’ll show you’. He googled it and it was exactly as he said.”

The family spoke to museum staff who admitted they would need to check with the experts before they could confirm whether Charlie was right.

And days later the family received a letter confirming that Charlie was right and promising to update the label on the exhibit.

“Basically it said they were wrong and I was right,” said Charlie.

A spokesperson for the Natural History Museum said: “The Museum was recently made aware of a mistake in one of our dinosaur galleries.

“This has now been raised with our exhibitions team, and we will change this as soon as possible. Scientific research and our understanding of the natural world are constantly changing and the Dinosaurs gallery has been refurbished several times to reflect this.

“Unfortunately, in the process an error has been made. We are very impressed with Charlie’s knowledge and hope his passion for palaeontology continues.”

Jade, who is also mum to Ronnie five-year-old Albie Edwards, said: “Charlie is really in paleontology and has been since a young age. Other children would play with dinosaurs and roar, Charlie sorts in carnivores and omnivores.

“He was diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was four and we explain to him that he can see the world in a different way than we can, often in a much more positive way.

“He sees things that we can’t, and this is the perfect example. I would have just walked past and not noticed but he’s able to see something’s not right.

“We’re so proud of him and it’s really nice to think he’s had a part to play in changing the Natural History Museum forever.”