Top Tweets for #SUEtrex

10 months ago

🟥 🦕 Sue is the most complete and iconic Tyrannosaurus rex specimen ever discovered, representing about 90% of the skeleton and standing as the largest known individual of the species. ❤️ 🔁 #SueTRex #DinoMystery 🎞️@FOX32Chicago ▶️ Unearthed in 1990 near Faith, South Dakota, in the Hell Creek Formation, this apex predator lived around 67 million years ago during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Cretaceous Period, just before the mass extinction event. Measuring over 40 feet (12.3 meters) long, weighing an estimated 9 tons, and boasting a skull nearly 5 feet long packed with 58 serrated, banana-sized teeth, Sue embodies the raw power of T. rex. A bipedal theropod with massive hind limbs for bursts of speed up to 25 mph, tiny forelimbs that remain an evolutionary enigma, and binocular vision for pinpointing prey like hadrosaurs and ceratopsians in the floodplains and river channels of ancient Laramidia. 🔎 What sets Sue apart beyond its size and preservation, thanks to rapid burial in fine-grained sediments, is a cluster of mysterious, golf ball-sized circular holes pockmarking the rear half of the left lower jawbone (dentary). These irregular pits, numbering at least seven, are smooth-edged and spaced randomly, with no signs of cracking or directional gouges that might suggest trauma. Remarkably, some show faint bone regrowth, indicating Sue survived whatever caused them and lived on for years afterward, reaching an estimated age of 28–33 years (old for a T. rex). Similar lesions appear in about 15% of all known T. rex fossils, including Scotty (the heaviest specimen) and others, hinting at a condition unique or highly prevalent in this species. 🔎 The Ongoing Mystery: What Formed the Holes? Paleontologists have puzzled over these jaw holes for decades, with no consensus despite advanced CT scans, high-res imaging, and comparative studies. Early ideas like bite marks from intraspecific combat or prey struggle were dismissed, the holes lack tooth-like spacing, puncture patterns, or associated fractures seen in healed tyrannosaur injuries (e.g., Sue's own broken ribs and tail vertebrae from likely T. rex fights). A parasitic infection, such as trichomoniasis (which causes pitted jaw lesions in modern birds and Scotty's skull), was a strong contender but ruled out: the holes are too large, lack the typical thin-walled abscess structure, and show no microbial traces or widespread bone erosion. Even wilder hypotheses, like "love bites" from aggressive mating rituals, have been floated but lack supporting evidence from the fossil record. Field Museum experts, including Jingmai O'Connor, describe it as a "classic paleontology mystery", a pathology that afflicted multiple T. rexes without killing them, possibly tied to the stresses of their hypercarnivorous lifestyle (e.g., repeated high-force biting that could weaken jaw tissue). Recent analyses suggest the holes formed via localized bone resorption, perhaps from an unknown viral or developmental disorder, but the randomness and healing defy easy explanation. Ongoing research, including isotopic analysis of the bone, may finally crack it, revealing more about T. rex health and behavior in their final, doomed reign over the Cretaceous. ↘️ Sue's jaw holes remind us that even the king of dinosaurs bore scars of vulnerability, turning this fossil into a window on ancient ailments that still stump us today.

$geologyBits's tweet photo. 🟥 🦕 Sue is the most complete and iconic Tyrannosaurus rex specimen ever discovered, representing about 90% of the skeleton and standing as the largest known individual of the species. ❤️ 🔁 #SueTRex #DinoMystery 🎞️@FOX32Chicago ▶️ Unearthed in 1990 near Faith, South Dakota, in the Hell Creek Formation, this apex predator lived around 67 million years ago during the late Maastrichtian stage of the Cretaceous Period, just before the mass extinction event. Measuring over 40 feet (12.3 meters) long, weighing an estimated 9 tons, and boasting a skull nearly 5 feet long packed with 58 serrated, banana-sized teeth, Sue embodies the raw power of T. rex. A bipedal theropod with massive hind limbs for bursts of speed up to 25 mph, tiny forelimbs that remain an evolutionary enigma, and binocular vision for pinpointing prey like hadrosaurs and ceratopsians in the floodplains and river channels of ancient Laramidia. 🔎 What sets Sue apart beyond its size and preservation, thanks to rapid burial in fine-grained sediments, is a cluster of mysterious, golf ball-sized circular holes pockmarking the rear half of the left lower jawbone (dentary). These irregular pits, numbering at least seven, are smooth-edged and spaced randomly, with no signs of cracking or directional gouges that might suggest trauma. Remarkably, some show faint bone regrowth, indicating Sue survived whatever caused them and lived on for years afterward, reaching an estimated age of 28–33 years (old for a T. rex). Similar lesions appear in about 15% of all known T. rex fossils, including Scotty (the heaviest specimen) and others, hinting at a condition unique or highly prevalent in this species. 🔎 The Ongoing Mystery: What Formed the Holes? Paleontologists have puzzled over these jaw holes for decades, with no consensus despite advanced CT scans, high-res imaging, and comparative studies. Early ideas like bite marks from intraspecific combat or prey struggle were dismissed, the holes lack tooth-like spacing, puncture patterns, or associated fractures seen in healed tyrannosaur injuries (e.g., Sue's own broken ribs and tail vertebrae from likely T. rex fights). A parasitic infection, such as trichomoniasis (which causes pitted jaw lesions in modern birds and Scotty's skull), was a strong contender but ruled out: the holes are too large, lack the typical thin-walled abscess structure, and show no microbial traces or widespread bone erosion. Even wilder hypotheses, like "love bites" from aggressive mating rituals, have been floated but lack supporting evidence from the fossil record. Field Museum experts, including Jingmai O'Connor, describe it as a "classic paleontology mystery", a pathology that afflicted multiple T. rexes without killing them, possibly tied to the stresses of their hypercarnivorous lifestyle (e.g., repeated high-force biting that could weaken jaw tissue). Recent analyses suggest the holes formed via localized bone resorption, perhaps from an unknown viral or developmental disorder, but the randomness and healing defy easy explanation. Ongoing research, including isotopic analysis of the bone, may finally crack it, revealing more about T. rex health and behavior in their final, doomed reign over the Cretaceous. ↘️ Sue's jaw holes remind us that even the king of dinosaurs bore scars of vulnerability, turning this fossil into a window on ancient ailments that still stump us today.$

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Nothe_Artist @Nothe_Artist

over 2 years ago

#FMNH2081 #suetrex #paleoart #sculpture sue is i think 99% done. I say 99% because I'll definitely find something untainted or something at some points

Nothe_Artist's tweet photo. #FMNH2081 #suetrex #paleoart #sculpture sue is i think 99% done. I say 99% because I'll definitely find something untainted or something at some points https://t.co/TallRri3vA

Enlace Covalente ⌬ @experimentian

about 3 years ago

Hoy celebramos 2 cumpleaños notables: el de Wendy Guevara, una influencer en la era digital, y el aniversario del descubrimiento de Sue, el T. rex que nos conecta con la prehistoria. ¿Quién hubiera pensado que estos eventos estarían entrelazados? #TeamWendyGuevara #SueTRex

experimentian's tweet photo. Hoy celebramos 2 cumpleaños notables: el de Wendy Guevara, una influencer en la era digital, y el aniversario del descubrimiento de Sue, el T. rex que nos conecta con la prehistoria. ¿Quién hubiera pensado que estos eventos estarían entrelazados? #TeamWendyGuevara #SueTRex https://t.co/vMlLdzK8k6

14K

aran🦕 @aranbba

over 4 years ago · Chicago

😍😍😍😍 @FieldMuseum #SueTRex

Jellyapp @JellyappArt

over 5 years ago

Finished the practice drawing of the Sue T-Rex model #paleoart #trex #SueTrex

Culz Paranormal Studio @Therealculz

over 5 years ago · Parker

Hey, a new series #FossilFrenzy is now live on our #Youtube this awesome #FossilFriday ! Its our in depth look at the #Suethetrexexperience that is now at the @DenverMuseumNS starring @SUEtheTrex https://t.co/jkmamEGm6j #Suetrex #Dinosaurs #Trex #Triceratops #Torosaurus #museum

Eclectic Emissary @EclecticEmisary

almost 6 years ago · Lansdowne

#HappyHalloween Maybe next year we'll get to celebrate 100% #fieldmuseum #suetrex #chicago #illinois #Halloween2020 #HappyHalloween2020 #Halloween #SaturdayVibes #SaturdayThoughts #saturdaynight #SaturdayMood #HalloweenWeekend #Halloweekend

EclecticEmisary's tweet photo. #HappyHalloween Maybe next year we'll get to celebrate 100%

#fieldmuseum #suetrex #chicago #illinois #Halloween2020 #HappyHalloween2020 #Halloween #SaturdayVibes #SaturdayThoughts #saturdaynight #SaturdayMood #HalloweenWeekend #Halloweekend https://t.co/Fx9v7wwRmT

Vitamin-Imagination @vitaimagination

over 7 years ago

도도새는 도 도 하면서 울까? #공룡 #dino #dinosaur #비타민상상력 #tyrannosaurus #kongtrex #tyrannosaurusrex #vitaminimagination #stegoceratops #SUE #SUEtrex #dodo #Raphuscucullatus #triceratops #skull #indominusrex #spinosaurus #Gigantosaurus #Carcharodontosaurus

vitaimagination's tweet photo. 도도새는 도 도 하면서 울까?

#공룡 #dino #dinosaur #비타민상상력 #tyrannosaurus #kongtrex #tyrannosaurusrex #vitaminimagination #stegoceratops #SUE #SUEtrex #dodo #Raphuscucullatus #triceratops #skull #indominusrex #spinosaurus #Gigantosaurus #Carcharodontosaurus https://t.co/28YHnpWyJT

Vitamin-Imagination @vitaimagination

over 7 years ago

19년 첫 작업 스타트 !! 도도새 두개골과 SUE 수정 이번에 전시된 골격을 참고로 하여 견갑골과 앞다리 뼈의 위치를 수정하였구요, 논문 자료를 바탕으로 7.8.9.10.11.12 번의 등갈비 뼈의 크기와 위치를 수정하였습니다. #SUE #SUEtrex #dodo #Raphuscucullatus #skull #비타민상상력

vitaimagination's tweet photo. 19년 첫 작업 스타트 !!
도도새 두개골과 SUE 수정
이번에 전시된 골격을 참고로 하여 견갑골과 앞다리 뼈의 위치를 수정하였구요, 논문 자료를 바탕으로 7.8.9.10.11.12 번의 등갈비 뼈의 크기와 위치를 수정하였습니다.

#SUE #SUEtrex #dodo #Raphuscucullatus #skull #비타민상상력 https://t.co/Y2UWmGB70V

Pete Larson @PeteLarsonTrex

almost 8 years ago

Saturday Susan Hendrickson #suetrex dropped by for a visit at the Museum @ Black Hills Institute. It was great to catch up on things great and small. https://t.co/9BHfUr8kTQ