Famous fossil finds way back to Faith

Sue exhibit in Faith through Sept. 1

By Scott Waltman, Aberdeen American News | Monday, August 04, 2008

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FAITH, S.D. (AP) -- An off-hand comment led Sue home.

Actually, a cast of the 45-foot-long Tyrannosaurus rex discovered about 15 miles northeast of Faith has returned to the region where it was discovered 18 years ago.

The "A T. Rex Named Sue" display will be at the Faith Community Center through Sept. 1. But that wouldn't have happened if Nellie Isaacs of Faith hadn't made a comment overheard by a worker at the Chicago museum home to the real Sue, workers at the traveling exhibit said.

Two years ago, while visiting the Field Museum, Isaacs said that it would be nice if Sue could return home. An employee who overheard said that was a possibility. The exchange got Faith officials and representatives of the Field Museum talking. After some debate about whether to spend the roughly $95,000 to bring the exhibit to Faith, the Sue display arrived in May. The 8,000th visitor saw it Sunday.

Sue's discovery was nearly as random as the display's visit to Faith. Paleontologist and fossil hunter Sue Hendrickson and others were looking for artifacts in the Faith area, when, on the morning of Aug. 1, 1990, they woke to find their truck had a flat tire. While the others went to get the tire repaired, Hendrickson decided to explore some nearby cliffs. First, Hendrickson found some bone fragments. More exploring revealed larger bones and a suspicion that they were those of a T.rex.

Of course, it was soon determined, they were. And so, Sue the dinosaur was named after Sue the fossil hunter.

A cast, reconstructed Sue dominates one side of the community center's gym as people read more about her and step a third of the way or so back in the gym so their camera lenses can get a shot of the entire dinosaur.

Sue, though, isn't the only dinosaur in the building. Near the entrance is a cast of Bucky, a smaller T. rex with 101 bones discovered about 10 miles northwest of Faith in 1998.

Despite their names, the gender of the dinosaurs is unknown. Scientists don't have enough T. rex specimens to determine sexes. Only 22 have been found, and Sue is easily the largest and most complete. Nearly 90 percent of her bones were found.

Debbie Brown, Faith city finance office, said it's very unusual for people to be able to see two such large dinosaur displays in one place. Sue is a traveling exhibit which will next go to Texas. Bucky belongs to the Black Hills Institute in Hill City and doesn't travel with his counterpart.

Sixteen-year-old Zach Stephens of Omaha, Neb., said some of the most interesting things he learned during an hour-long visit to the "A T. Rex Named Sue" exhibit weren't about Sue, rather from other parts of the display that were about dinosaurs in general.

A triceratops, for example, had eyes on the sides of its face, so the dinosaur couldn't see what was directly in front of it, Stephens said. A T. rex's eyes, though, were like a human's and offered a straight-ahead view.

Stephens said he found it interesting that T. rexes used their teeth to bite off large pieces of meat but didn't chew it, rather swallowed it whole.

In Rapid City to visit relatives, Stephens said they made the two-hour trip to Faith to see the Sue exhibit.

Brown said she hopes this week -- with the Faith Stock Show and Rodeo and the Sturgis motorcycle rally -- will bring more visitors to see Sue. So far, there have been visitors from 47 states and more than 15 foreign countries, including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Australia and China. Residents from Maine, Vermont and Mississippi have yet to visit Sue, said Sandy Rasmussen, a worker at the exhibit.

Some locals say that they had hoped for many more visitors, but that high gas and food prices have made it tough for people to plan a trip.

Faith, which is by far the smallest town Sue is visiting, is home to about 450 people.



Three events planned at Sue exhibit

The traveling Sue T. rex exhibit caps its South Dakota stay at Faith's Community Center with three events. 

--  On Aug. 10, there will be a "birthday" celebration for Sue to commemorate the discovery near Faith in 1990.

Duane Reichert will perform his rodeo clown act at 11:30 a.m.

Peter Larson, president of Black Hills Institute in Hill City, will recall the discovery and excavation of Sue at 12:30 p.m. He also will discuss how to tell T. rex "boys" from "girls" at 2 p.m.

At 3:30 p.m. local rancher Bucky Derflinger will speak on discovering dinosaurs. Bucky discovered the juvenile T. rex "Bucky."

Cake will be served at 4:30 p.m.

--  At 7 p.m. Aug. 22, Timber Lake Topic publisher Jim Nelson will recall the story of Sue as seen and covered by his paper and other media. His presentation will show the importance of the discovery and litigation that followed and the effect it has had on landowner rights.

-- There will be several paleontology discussions Aug. 30.

At 11 a.m. Neal Larson from the Black Hills Institute will speak on ammonites, the ancient sea fossils found around the state. At 12:45 p.m., Peter Larson and his co-author of two paleontology books, Kristin Donnan Standard, will follow with "Bones Rock!," a talk for children and fossil enthusiasts who want to know about how to collect fossils in South Dakota. At 2 p.m. Larson will talk about how birds are related to dinosaurs.

--  The Sue exhibit is open daily through Sept. 1. For information, call 605-967-2001 or 605-967-2261 or go to www.faithsdchamber.com.