Fossil of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton
© Corbin17/Alam
King of the dinosaurs
No other dinosaur has quite the notoriety of the Tyrannosaurus rex. The species gained widespread popularity in 1905, when a New York Times article hailed it ‘the king of all kings in the domain of animal life’ and the ‘absolute warlord of the Earth.’ The so-called tyrant lizard has been a star ever since, regularly appearing in film, TV and books.
Today’s date is significant in the history of Tyrannosaurus scholarship, because it was on 12 August 1990 that one of the largest, best-preserved and most complete T. rex skeletons ever found was unearthed. It’s known as Sue, named after palaeontologist Sue Hendrickson, who discovered it in the US state of South Dakota while a tyre of her truck was being fixed. Sue the T. rex is now on display at Field Museum in Chicago, where anyone can come in for a close encounter.
Related Images
Dolmen of Sorginetxe, Basque Country, Alava, Spain
Marine iguanas, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Young black caiman, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru
Thorny devil, Watarrka National Park, Australia
Indian star tortoise, Sri Lanka
Green sea turtle, San Diego, California, USA
Red lechwe herd crossing marshy plain of Okavango Delta, Botswana
Volcán Alcedo giant tortoises, Isabela Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
Today on Bing
African elephants, Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Elephant family in Amboseli National Park, Kenya
African bush elephant herd, Okavango Delta, Botswana
