FMNH PR 2081/BHI 2033 ("Sue"):
FMNH PR 2081, or "Sue," previously known as BHI 2033, is stated as being the largest specimen of T-Rex to have ever been discovered. However, over the years her size has gone up and down. When she was discovered, she was stated as being 41 feet (12.5 meters) "plus or minus a foot" (Larson, 1994). Then in 2000-2008, her skeleton was put on display and was given a length of 42 feet (12.8 meters) (Field Museum, 2008). Then later on, she was given 40.5 feet (12.35/12.4 meters). In 2011, she was given 40 feet (12.29/12.3 meters) (Hutchinson, 2011). This size estimate has been used everywhere and is still used today. Then in 2014, she was given 41 feet again (12.5 meters) (Ibrahim et al., 2014). In 2007, she was given 11.7/12.0-12.0 meters (Therrien and Henderson, 2007). This was based on her 1.39-meter skull. Then in 2017 and 2018, she's back to being 42 feet (12.8/13.0 meters).
My question is just how big is she really? Well, let's do some math!
The Percentage Increase/Decrease Method:
1. Take new number and subtract it from original number.
2. Take that number and divide it by the original number and multiply by 100.
3. That number will by your percentage increase or decrease if it's negative.
Ex.: "Stan's" Femur is 130 and has a body length of 12.2 meters. "Wyrex" has a femur length of 132.7 cm.
132.7 - 130 = 2.7.
2.7 divided by (represented by "/") and multiplied by (represented by "*") equals 2.1.
(2.7/130*100 = 2.1)
2.1 is your percentage increase, or 2.1% increase.
12.2 m + 2.1% = 12.5 meters for "Wyrex."
Links:
Percentage Increase/Decrease Method Links:
"Percentage Change - Percentage Increase and Decrease." SkillsYouNeed:
"Relative Increase." percentage.calculators.ro:
https://percentages.calculators.ro/15-percentage-increase-from-original-number-to-new-value.php
"Sue's" Right Femur (Brochu, 2003, pg. 112, "A," Posterior View). (Scale bar is 30 cm):
(Measurements taken on 9/4-8/19):
Straight Side: 137.0 cm. (Surprisingly, the 137-cm length was stated in "A Tyrannosaurus Rex Named Sue," 2001)
Short side with femoral head: 135 cm.
Total Length (From femoral head to tip of longest side): 143 cm (at best). (Measured on 9/8/19)
Now, let's see how large "Sue" is:
Ex.: CM 9380 and "Samson/Z-Rex":
Femurs: 136 cm.
Bodies: 12.9 meters.
The 137-cm femur length:
137 - 136 = 1.
1/136*100 = 0.7% increase.
12.9 m + 0.7% = 13.0 meters for "Sue."
Total femur length:
136 - 143 = 7.
7/136*100 = 5.2% increase.
12.9 m + 5.2% = 45 feet (13.6 meters) for "Sue."
Note: Here's how I was able to obtain CM 9380's and "Samson's" sizes:
1. "Stan":
Femur: 130 cm. (BHI)
MOR 555's Measurements (Farlow et al., 1995):
Femur: 128 cm.
Body: 11.96 or 12.0 meters. (Farlow et al., 1995) (Natural Museums Scotland)
128 - 130 = 2.
2/128*100 = 1.6% increase.
12.0 m + 1.6% = 12.2 meters for "Stan."
Note: MOR 555's femur is actually 130 cm, so it's 12.2 meters as well.
2. "Wyrex":
Femur: 132.7 cm. (Bell et al., 2017, Supplementary Materials)
BHI 3033 ("Stan"):
Femur: 130.0 cm.
Length: 40 feet (12.2 meters).
132.7 - 130 = 2.7.
2.7/130*100 = 2.1% increase.
12.2 m + 2.1% = 12.5 meters for "Wyrex."
3. "Hank":
Femur: 133.4 cm (52.5 inches).
Humerus: 35.6 cm.
"Wyrex":
Femur: 132.7 cm.
Body: 12.5 meters.
133.4 - 132.7 = 0.7.
0.7/132.7*100 = 0.5% increase.
12.5 m + 0.5% = 12.6 meters.
4. CM 9380 and "Samson":
CM 9380's Femur: 136 cm. (Measured in Weishampel et al., 2004, pg. 126, Cranial View) (Taken 8/3/19)
"Hank":
Femur: 133.4 cm.
Body: 12.6 meters.
136 - 133.4 = 2.6.
2.6/133.4*100 = 2% increase.
12.6 m + 2% = 42 feet (12.9 meters) for CM 9380.
"Samson's" Original Femur Length: 1.36 meters. (Glut, 2002; stated on the Theropod Database website)
Glut (2002) from the Theropod Database:
Picture 2:
"Hank":
Femur: 133.4 cm.
Body: 12.6 meters.
136 - 133.4 = 2.6.
2.6/133.4*100 = 2% increase.
12.6 m + 2% = 12.9 meters for "Samson."
Link to their size calculations:
https://psdinosaurs.blogspot.com/2019/08/size-calculations-for-tyrannosaurus-rex.html
Now back to Sue. This sounds crazy, but "Sue' has been given a length of 45 feet before:
Enchanted Learning (1999):
https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/news/Trexolf.shtml
The Lantern (2001):
https://www.thelantern.com/2001/02/blast-from-the-far-past-cosi-to-host-dino-sue/
Kitsap Sun (2001):
https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/2001/09-02/0007_kansas_museum_lands_dinosaur_foss.html
The Catholic Key (2001):
http://www.catholickey.com/index.php3?gif=news.gif&mode=view&issue=20010909&article_id=1762
CBS News (2004):
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/t-rex-giant-teen-growth-spurt/
Education World (2005):
https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/edit/edit0514.shtml
Rapid City Journal (2008):
https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/top-stories/famous-fossil-finds-way-back-to-faith/article_fde81c6c-2ebd-5865-a532-25f25eeb98f9.html
Science Daily (2009)(?):
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204112217.htm
Natural History Magazine (2009)(?):
https://www.naturalhistorymag.com/partner/when-ititanoboai-ruled-the-amazon
Travel Channel (No date):
https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/arts-and-culture/articles/the-secrets-of-sue-the-trex
Wynne Parry (2012):
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.livescience.com/amp/20540-tarbosaurus-tyrannosaurus-difference.html
Here are some other measurements that I was able to take from Brochu (2003):
Right Dentary: 101.0 cm. (Measured in Brochu, 2003, pg. 41, "C") (I got it twice on 8/20/19 and 8/21/19)
Right Maxilla: 86 cm. (Measured on 9/4/19 in Brochu, 2003, pg. 8, "A," Lateral View)
BHI 3033 ("Stan"):
Maxilla: 76 cm.
Dentary: 91 cm.
Body: 12.2 meters.
Dentary:
91 - 101 = 10.
10/91*100 = 11% increase.
12.2 m + 11% = 44 feet (13.5 meters).
Maxilla:
76 - 86 = 10.
10/76*100 = 13.2% increase.
12.2 m + 13.2% = 45 feet (13.8 meters).
I'll stick with the femur length, but either way, "Sue" seems to be close to 45 feet. She's a lot bigger than I thought!
FMNH 2081/BHI 2033's Total Length: 45 feet (13.6 meters).
Femur: 143 cm.
Maxilla: 86 cm.
Dentary: 101 cm.
This took a lot of research and years of patience, but it's finally over!
Note (5/16/20): I decided to compare "Sue's" humerus to "Hank's," and see what I'd get.
"Hank":
Humerus: 35.6 cm.
Length: 12.6 meters.
"Sue":
Humerus: 39 cm. (Measured in Brochu, 2003, pg. 97, right humerus, "A," Dorsal). (This length was also stated in Larson, 1994 and Larson and Carpenter, 2008)
39 - 35.6 = 3.4.
3.4/35.6*100 = 9.6% increase.
12.6 m + 9.6% = 45 feet (13.8 meters).
So either way, "Sue" is 45 feet long, but I'll go with the femur length.
FMNH 2081/BHI 2033's Total Length: 45 feet (13.6 meters).
Femur: 143 cm.
Maxilla: 86 cm.
Dentary: 101 cm.
Humerus: 39 cm.
Links:
Femur:
Brochu (2003) (pg. 112, right femur, "A"):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249022959_Osteology_of_Tyrannosaurus_rex_Insights_from_a_Nearly_Complete_Skeleton_and_High-Resolution_Computed_Tomographic_Analysis_of_the_Skull
Encyclopedia.com (2001):
https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/tyrannosaurus-rex-named-sue
Larson (1994) (Page 142):
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20010028790.pdf
Worldwide Museum of Natural History:
http://www.wmnh.com/wmsue.htm
http://www.wmnh.com
Black Hills Institute:
https://www.bhigr.com/pages/info/info_sue_2.htm
Susan Hendrickson's Book (2013):
https://books.google.com/books?id=IP1bAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT8&lpg=PT8&dq=t-rex+femur+54+inches&source=bl&ots=QlKhpRd3pG&sig=ACfU3U0AdF6k0tbUMOnFeQ4Ee2NtdMhJ9g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjzm5a48JngAhUBJt8KHRYRAUQQ6AEwD3oECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=t-rex%20femur%2054%20inches&f=false
Tyrannosaurus Sue (2000):
https://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/servlet/DCARead?standardNo=0716740176&standardNoType=1&excerpt=true
Mazzetta et al., (2004) ("Abstract;" Pages 9-10, 12):
http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/tmp/papers/Mazzetta-et-al_04_SA-dino-body-size.pdf
Erickson et al., (2004):
http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/tmp/lovejoy/Erickson-et-al_04_tyrannosaurid-growth.pdf
Humerus:
Brochu (2003) (Pg. 97, right humerus, "A," Dorsal):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249022959_Osteology_of_Tyrannosaurus_rex_Insights_from_a_Nearly_Complete_Skeleton_and_High-Resolution_Computed_Tomographic_Analysis_of_the_Skull
Larson (1994) (Page 142):
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20010028790.pdf
Larson and Carpenter (2008) (Pg. 123, Figure 8.15):
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Tyrannosaurus_Rex_the_Tyrant_King/5WH9RnfKco4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=sue%20humerus
Size:
38-39 feet (11.7-12.0 meters):
Therrien and Henderson (2007):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232687833_My_theropod_is_bigger_than_yoursor_not_Estimating_body_size_from_skull_length_in_theropods
40 Feet (12.3 meters):
Hutchinson et al., (2011):
("Skeletal Dimension: Table 3" in "Results" Section):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3192160/
2014 Correction:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4010492/
https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/618385/6/body%20mass.pdf
41 Feet (12.5 meters):
Larson (1994) (pg. 139):
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20010028790.pdf
Brochu (2003) (pg. 130):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249022959_Osteology_of_Tyrannosaurus_rex_Insights_from_a_Nearly_Complete_Skeleton_and_High-Resolution_Computed_Tomographic_Analysis_of_the_Skull
Ibrahim et al., (2014):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265553416_Semiaquatic_adaptations_in_a_giant_predatory_dinosaur
(Supplementary Materials):
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/suppl/2014/09/10/science.1258750.DC1/Ibrahim.SM.pdf
42 Feet (12.8-13.0 meters):
Field Museum (2008):
https://www.fieldmuseum.org/sites/default/files/A%20T.%20rex%20Named%20Sue%20Exhibition%20Brief%202014.pdf
Present-day version:
http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/sue/#traveling-sue
Brusatte et al., (2010)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46288434_Tyrannosaur_Paleobiology_New_Research_on_Ancient_Exemplar_Organisms
Dave Hone (2011):
https://archosaurmusings.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/so-just-how-big-was-zhuchengtyrannus/
Brusatte and Carr (2016):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292963813_The_phylogeny_and_evolutionary_history_of_tyrannosauroid_dinosaurs
Gignac and Erickson (2017):
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5435714/
Brusatte (2018):
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/06/why-now-is-the-best-time-ever-for-dinosaur-discoveries/
Susan Hendrickson Biography (2018):
https://www.mylifetime.com/she-did-that/august-12-1990-susan-hendrickson-discovered-the-largest-and-most-complete-tyrannosaurus-rex-skeleton
Theropod Database:
http://theropoddatabase.com/Tyrannosauroidea.html#Tyrannosaurusrex
43 Feet (13.0 meters):
https://nature.ca/notebooks/english/tyranno.htm
2004:
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/dinosaur-exhibit-readied-at-mesa-southwest-museum/article_ac83bad6-1ef3-57be-90f3-0da574eaec2d.html
2009:
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/DyeHard/teenage-rex-bones-fierce-fight/story?id=8986505
2010:
Gregory S. Paul (2010):
http://gspauldino.com/data.html
2015:
http://www.impossiblefactual.com/work/t-rex-autopsy/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/06/08/scientists-did-an-autopsy-of-a-t-rex-on-tv-and-it-was-awesome-and-bloody/?utm_term=.54e27cbff1fb
http://theconversation.com/how-i-dissected-a-t-rex-it-took-chainsaws-feathers-and-lots-of-latex-42920
2016:
https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/north-americas-t-rex-may-have-been-invasive-species/
Dave Hone (2016):
https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Tyrannosaur_Chronicles.html?id=hyGICwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=kp_read_button#v=onepage&q=sue&f=false
2017:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-dinosaur-idUSKCN18D0WX
2019:
https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/t.-rex-the-ultimate-predator
https://carlsbadca.libanswers.com/faq/249896
Skull Size:
1.53 meters:Larson (1994) (Page 139):
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20010028790.pdf
Lu et al., (2014):
("Supplementary Materials"):
https://media.nature.com/original/nature-assets/ncomms/2014/140507/ncomms4788/extref/ncomms4788-s1.pdf
Full Paper:
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms4788
1.52 meters:
Field Museum (2008):
https://web.archive.org/web/20160818213556/https://www.fieldmuseum.org/sites/default/files/Sue%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
My Other "Sue" Bone Measurements:
Brochu, Christopher. Osteology of Tyrannosaurus rex. 2003. Web.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249022959_Osteology_of_Tyrannosaurus_rex_Insights_from_a_Nearly_Complete_Skeleton_and_High-Resolution_Computed_Tomographic_Analysis_of_the_Skull
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249022959_Osteology_of_Tyrannosaurus_rex_Insights_from_a_Nearly_Complete_Skeleton_and_High-Resolution_Computed_Tomographic_Analysis_of_the_Skull