Top 7 Famous T-rex Specimen

Tyrannosaurus rex, or T-rex for short, is one of the most famous and widely recognized dinosaurs in the world. With its massive jaws and sharp teeth, this apex predator roamed the earth during the Late Cretaceous period, around 68 to 66 million years ago. Over the years, numerous T. rex specimens have been discovered and studied, but some have become more famous than others. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the top 5 famous T-rex specimens.

1. Sue
Sue is the largest, most complete, and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton with more than 90% of the bones discovered. It was discovered in South Dakota in 1990 and is named after the paleontologist who first discovered it. The skeleton is 12 feet tall and 42 feet long and is estimated to be 67 million years old. Sue is housed at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, and has become one of the most popular exhibits at the museum.

Tyrannosaurus Rex specimen “SUE” on display By Evolutionnumber9

2. Stan
This is the second most complete T-rex skeleton, with over 185 bones recovered. It was excavated in South Dakota. In October 2020, the fossil was sold for $31.8 million at auction, making it the most expensive dinosaur specimen and fossil ever sold. It is now on display at various museums on tour.

A cast of Stan the T. rex at the Manchester Museum

The original uploader was Billlion at English Wikipedia. – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3517929

3.The Wankel Rex MOR 555
This T-rex fossil is about 68% complete and includes the skull, hips, and limb bones. Found in Montana and sold at auction for $5.5 million, it is privately owned but has been on display at various museums.
The “Wankel rex” is estimated to have been about 36.5 feet long,it is well preserved and is the first Tyrannosaurus specimen with a fairly preserved forelimb.

The Wankel T. rex debuts in Washington D.C.

4. Trix
This T-rex skeleton from Montana is about 60% complete, including parts of the skull, lower jaws, and limb bones. It was previously on display at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. Its current whereabouts are unknown.

Trix By Rique – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

5. Peck’s Rex: This skeleton is about 60% complete, including parts of the skull, vertebrae, ribs, pelvis, and limb bones. Discovered in Wyoming, it is on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Peck’s Rex

6. Scotty
It was found in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1991, and is reported to be 13 meters (43 feet) long, estimated to have weighed around 8.8 tons when it was alive. The skeleton is about 65% complete, making it one of the most complete large T-rex specimens. Scotty is named after the bottle of scotch that was used to celebrate its discovery and is on display at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.

Scotty, the New T. Rex

7. Jane
Jane is a T-rex specimen that was discovered in Montana in 2001. It’s notable for being one of the smallest T-rex specimens ever found, its fully restored skeleton measured 6.5 meters (21.5 ft) long, with an estimated weight of just 1.2 tons. The skeleton is around 50% complete and is on display at the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Illinois. Jane has been used extensively in studies of T-rex growth and development, shedding new light on how these dinosaurs grew from hatchlings to adults.

These famous T-rex specimens have provided invaluable insights into the world of these incredible animals, shedding new light on their morphology, behavior, and evolution. While there are many other T-rex specimens that are also fascinating, these are some of the most iconic and well-known, capturing the imaginations of paleontologists and the public alike.