Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton was discovered in South Dakota on this day in 1990

On this day, August 12, 1990, the mammoth 65 million-year-old skeleton of the ‘most frightening’ dinosaur species, Tyrannosaurus Rex, was discovered in Faith, South Dakota. Greek for ‘Terrible Lizard’, the carnivores species T.Rex’s specimens for the first time are exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. According to reports, the skeletal framework was excavated by the fossil hunter Susan Hendrickson and was, in fact, 90 percent intact.  

After the discovery, the carnivore was well-preserved. Hendrickson’s employer was paid an amount of $5,000 to buy rights on the historically significant structure. It was then shipped to the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research headquarters in Hill City. US Attorney’s Office in 1992 indulged in a legal battle over land, calling it as “federal” from where the specimens were excavated, as per a report. However, it was later established that the excavation rights hadn’t been valid as the potion was acquired by the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe. Therefore, in October 1997, Chicago’s Field Museum bought the skeleton for $8.36 million at Sotheby’s auctions and installed in New York City. 

[After excavating the fossilized bones, collectors wrapped the bones in protective plaster field jackets to remove them from the site to transport to The Black Hills Institute. Credit: The Black Hills Institute/ Peter Larson for Field Museum Blog]

It’s been kind of deeply embarrassing to be the national museum and NOT have a T. rex, the museum’s director, AP quoted Kirk Johnson saying.

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T. Rex tableau is now centerpiece 

A massive Tyrannosaurus rex now stands in the National Museum of Natural History after it acquired the rare and coveted T.Rex skeleton. Earlier, only a simulation was used to demonstrate the species to the visitors. T. Rex tableau is now the centerpiece of the museum’s newest exhibition and opens to the public at David H. Koch Hall of Fossils — Deep Time on Saturdays. The museum had missed out on acquiring a T. rex back in 1997, at the Sotheby’s auction.   Known as the ‘Reaper of the death’ the oldest living dinosaur on the planet existed in the late Cretaceous Period, native to North America. A related species of T.Rex, Daspletosaurus, was found in Canada in 1970. 

[A detail of an authentic Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton is seen at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, during the media preview of "David H. Koch Hall of Fossils-Deep Time". Credit: AP]

[T. Rex specimen has been invaluable to the paleontological community. Credit: Field Museaum]

[Preserve at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Credit: AP]

[Tooth #2 in the lower left jaw of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton is seen in the paleobiology prep lab at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Credit: AP]

[The lower left jaw of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton is seen in the paleobiology prep lab at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Credit: AP]

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