On this historic day, August 12, 1990, an extraordinary find was made—the largest and most well-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever discovered, affectionately named “Sue.” While the gender of the T. rex remains unknown, the fossil was named after Sue Hendrickson, the remarkable individual who unearthed it during a commercial excavation trip near Faith, South Dakota. According to the Field Museum in Chicago, where Sue currently resides, Hendrickson noticed a few prominent vertebrae peeking out of an eroded bluff. Her intuition proved correct, as additional fossils were indeed found in the area.
Unearthing Sue’s remains proved to be quite the endeavor, requiring the efforts of six people over a period of 17 days. The Field Museum recounts the meticulous process of extracting the dinosaur’s bones from the ground. Sue measures over 40 feet in length and stands at an impressive height of 13 feet at the hip bone, making it the largest T. rex skeleton ever discovered. The museum also notes that Sue boasts 90% of the known bones in a T. rex skeleton, with 250 out of 380 bones represented.
As stated on The Field Museum’s website, Sue holds an esteemed position as the most celebrated representative of the T. rex species and is globally recognized as the most famous fossil. Sue’s discovery has provided scientists worldwide with unparalleled opportunities to study the evolutionary relationships, biology, growth, and behavior of these captivating creatures.
Since 2018, Sue has been on display in a dedicated suite at the Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet within the Field Museum. Due to Sue’s nearly complete nature, scientists have created copies of the skeleton for research and display purposes. One such replica, known as “Dino-Sue,” is currently showcased at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in Orlando, Florida.
Sue’s journey to the Field Museum was filled with excitement and a custody battle lasting five years between three different parties. In 1998, Sue finally found its home at the Field Museum after a collective effort involving the museum, McDonald’s Corporation, the Walt Disney World Resort, and other generous private donors, who paid a total of $8.4 million in a public auction. At the time, this marked the highest price ever paid for a fossil, a record that stood until October 2020 when a museum in Abu Dhabi purchased “Stan,” another T. rex from South Dakota, for an astounding $31.8 million.
Beyond its physical presence at the Field Museum, Sue has made its mark on the digital world as a witty and pun-loving dinosaur on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). A testament to Sue’s enduring popularity and the fascination it continues to inspire.
August 12th will forever hold a special place in history as the day Sue, the spectacular T. rex fossil, was discovered in South Dakota. Sue’s significance reaches far beyond its immense size and completeness. It represents the discoveries, knowledge, and marvels that paleontology and scientific exploration bring to our world.
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