The name of the most complete T. rex skeleton ever found is Sue. Officially catalogued as FMNH PR 2081, the specimen was discovered by fossil hunter Sue Hendrickson in South Dakota on August 12, 1990.
More than 90 percent of Sue’s skeleton was recovered by bulk, making it one of the most extensive and best-preserved T. rex fossils known. The bones came from the Hell Creek Formation, a rock unit famous for fossils from the final part of the Cretaceous Period.
Sue’s discovery became scientifically important and legally controversial. A dispute over ownership was eventually settled in favor of the landowner, and the fossil was sold at auction in 1997 to Chicago’s Field Museum. The museum prepared and mounted the skeleton for public display in 2000.
T. rex skeletons such as Stan and Trix are also exceptionally complete, so they are frequent quiz alternatives. Sue remains the standard answer for the most complete known T. rex, while claims about the largest specimen can differ depending on whether researchers compare total length, mass, or skull size.