Sue (dinosaur) facts for kids
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| Catalog number | FMNH PR 2081 |
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| Common name | Sue |
| Species | Tyrannosaurus rex |
| Age | 67–65.5 million years |
| Place discovered | Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, South Dakota |
| Date discovered | August 12, 1990 |
| Discovered by | Susan Hendrickson |
"Sue" is the nickname given to FMNH PR 2081, one of the largest, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex fossil ever found.
Sue was discovered in the summer of 1990 by Sue Hendrickson, a paleontologist, and was named after her. She contacted the Black Hills Institute, whose staff retrieved and prepared the bones.
First, ownership disputes were settled in court. There was a long dispute between the owners of the land, the Sioux tribe, the United States Department of the Interior, and the Black Hills Institute, whose staff had done the work.
The fossil was then auctioned in October 1997 for US$8.36 million, the highest amount ever paid for a dinosaur fossil.
After preparation, the skeleton became a permanent feature at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. The money had been raised by public subscription.
Size
Sue has a length of 12.3–12.8 meters (40–42 ft), stands 4 meters (13 ft) tall at the hips, and has been estimated at between 8.4–14 metric tons (9.26–15.4 short tons) as of 2018.
Sue is one of the largest Tyrannosaurus specimens only being exceeded in size by the specimen "Scotty".
Gout
Some researchers think the skeleton shows evidence that Sue suffered from the painful condition known as gout.
Images for kids
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"Sue" and other specimens to scale with a human
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Highlighted green are the real fossilized bones. The real skull is displayed separately.
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Skeletal reconstruction of Sue
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With the correct furcula in place, the shoulders are lowered and meet in the middle of the chest – bringing the arms closer to the ground..
