Sue (Tyrannosaurus rex): discovery, history and scientific importance

Discovery and recovery

The bones were discovered by paleontologist Sue Hendrickson during a field season in the summer of 1990. Hendrickson reported the find to a small commercial outfit that excavated and prepared the elements. The specimen was named informally for her, and crews removed and stabilized hundreds of bones from the dig site for transport and laboratory preparation.

Ownership dispute and auction

The recovery of Sue led to a complex legal dispute over ownership that involved the landowner, members of the local Sioux community, commercial collectors and federal authorities. The matter required adjudication that included the Department of the Interior before the specimen could be offered for sale. In October 1997 the fossil was sold at auction for a record sum; the high bid reflected both scientific interest and public fascination.

Preparation, research and display

After acquisition by the museum, extensive preparation removed matrix and stabilized fragile bones to create a nearly complete mounted skeleton. The specimen entered long-term study, yielding insights into T. rex growth patterns, healed injuries and bone pathologies. The mounted skeleton was installed as a centerpiece exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, where it remains an important resource for researchers and visitors.

Significance and public impact

Sue has had wide cultural and scientific impact: it set a price record for a dinosaur fossil at auction, stimulated debate about the stewardship of fossil resources, and drew millions of visitors to the museum. Scientists have used the specimen to study tyrannosaur anatomy and life history, and educators have used it to explain fossilization, excavation and museum conservation.

Notable facts and distinctions

• Catalog number: FMNH PR 2081 — one of the most complete T. rex skeletons on display.
• Discovery year: 1990; discoverer: Sue Hendrickson.
• Legal and ethical questions around fossil ownership and sale influenced later collecting and museum acquisition policies.
• Regularly cited in popular and academic discussions as a benchmark specimen for tyrannosaur studies.

Sue remains both a scientific treasure and a public icon, illustrating how a single specimen can shape research agendas, museum practice and public interest in deep time.