Tyrannosaurus Sue

Author: Steve Fiffer
Bugs: 5
Review by: CBS

This is the convoluted tale of the discovery, excavation and battle for custody of the largest, most complete fossilized Tyrannosaurus rex ever found. "Sue," as she was dubbed (after her discoverer), created quite a stir, not only in South Dakota where she had lain for 67 million years but also around the world as fossil hunters and museums watched her rebirth.

Unfortunately, the United States government decided to haul "Sue's" particular fossil hunters into court for a long, costly custody battle. In the end, much to everyone's relief, "Sue" was ensconced in Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History amid the pomp and circumstance she deserved.

If you've only done dinosaurs when your kids were little, this book is an eye-opener to the realities of fossil hunting. Woven between the threads of the present day story are historical tributes to the founders of paleontology. The kick-in-the-groin comes from our own US government with help from the FBI, and it makes for infuriating, tedious reading as they work their way through the court system fighting for custody of this most famous T. rex.

This book will give you a new appreciation for those extensive bone and fossil displays at museums and for the teams of field collectors, lab technicians, and designers who are eager to share it all with us.