Sue the T. Rex Has Given Up a Limb for Science: The Dino’s Comically Tiny Arms Are Now the Stuff of Serious Study

(Alex Ruppenthal / WTTW News)(Alex Ruppenthal / WTTW News)

Tyrranosaurus rex is considered one of the fiercest predators to have ever lived. But the dinosaur’s comically short forelimbs/arms have a way of undercutting the beast’s menacing reputation.       

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Researchers at the Field Museum are now embarking on a project to discover what the point was — if any — of those tiny arms.

On Monday morning, Sue, the Field’s T. rex, donated her limb to the cause, loaning out an arm so it could be CT scanned and photographed at the University of Chicago. 

Despite receiving a temporary prosthetic replacement, Sue demanded her arm back. She needs it, she said, for tweeting. 


Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]

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