Sue Hendrickson found a fossil Tyrannosaurus rex in 1990 sticking
out of a cliff in South Dakota. For a while it was a dream come true: the
largest and most complete T. rex ever found. Everyone got excited. Then
reality bit back and years of legal fights. The result? Chicago’s Field Museum
paid $8.36 million. That kind of price turns fossils into trophies,
putting palaeontology at risk. Steve Fiffer’s Tyrannosaurus Sue tells
the tale in an embarrassingly emotional way (fossils call out from cliffs to
passers-by). Published by W. H. Freeman, £16.95, ISBN 0716740176.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
2
Orangutan mothers seem to plan playdates for their offspring
3
A volcano has erupted remnants of Earth's primordial magma ocean
4
Random wobbles in time could finally solve gravity’s greatest mystery
5
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
6
The 4 must-watch science-fiction films of the year so far
7
What is 'SpudCell'? Arguably the greatest bioengineering feat yet
8
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
9
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
10
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
