DINO LAND PALEONTOLOGY INTERVIEWS

After its long and notorious custody battle the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed Sue has become a household name, even to non-paleontology fans. And, so has Sue's discover and namesake-Susan Hendrickson. While many of you probably know the story, Hendrickson discovered Sue in 1990 on the Cheyenne River Reservation near the town of Faith, South Dakota. While her team (led by the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research and its leader Peter Larson) went into town, Hendrickson decided to explore the last of seven mapped outcrops. While the previous six yielded nothing of importance, Hendrickson discovered a few small bones that had fallen from outcrop 7. These bones led to the discovery of Sue, and the long custody battle that followed. After the U.S. government raided the institute in 1992, and after a long court battle, the ownership of the fossil was awarded to ranch owner Maurice Williams, who decided to auction them off at Sotheby's auction house. In October of 1997 this auction took place, with the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois placing the winning bid, which with auction fees ended up totaling $8.36 million dollars. In 1998 the Field began to publicly prepared Sue's bones, and on May 29th 1999 they unveiled a new exhibit-"Sue-The Inside Story." On May 30th 1999Susan Hendrickson herself appeared at the museum to greet fans and discuss her finds. I was present, along with hundreds of dinosaur fans from across the country. To my delight I was able to personally meet Susan and then attend a lecture given by Dr. Chris Brochu, who is currently using computer animation to peer into the hidden and mysterious world of Sue's skull. The work, carried out by CT scans, was highlighted in the June 1999 issue of National Geographic. On May 31st, the day after the lecture, I got the rare privilege to personally interview Ms. Hendrickson. Here are some of the highlights.

Steve Brusatte: You stated in a Chicago Sun Times article that you were not interested in dinosaurs and fossils as a child, but if the Field Museum would have had a dinosaur like Sue, you may have been. How may your life have been changed if the Field had a dinosaur on display?

Susan Hendrickson: I have so many friends in paleontology that were inspired as a child and grew up knowing that is what they wanted to do. I can't say whether I would have been one that would have clicked. I have always had an interest in finding things, but I may have been drawn into paleontology that way.

S.B: You are an archaeologist, a diver, a fossil hunter, and a basic explorer. Does any of these interest you more than the other?

S.H: They are all pretty much equal. Being in the water is a little more comfortably physically than looking for fossils in a desert, but I am happy to partake in archaeology (which is strictly marine) and paleontology.

S.B: You described having a sort of mystic feeling that led you to explore the seventh outcrop and find Sue. Has this ever happened before?

S.H: I am pretty logical, but it has happened once before. I was once diving for shells in the Florida Keys. The water was very muddy, and I suddenly had a feeling that led me to anchor the boat. I then dove into the water and discovered a beautiful shell. I have tried to consciously make this happen, thinking maybe a part of my brain is responsible, but I can't duplicate it!

S.B: Being an archaeologist, diver, and paleontologist, you must have a pretty massive collection. What are some of your favorite pieces?

S.H: I haven't kept very much, but I have a few things. On one ship wreck I was able to keep a few musketballs. I do have a nice ammonite collection, including a beautiful one from South Dakota.

S.B: What views do you have on commercial fossil hunting today?

S.H: I really don't care, as long as the commercial hunters are doing it correctly and ethically, and if they find something important to science that they handle it right. The way I see it, 99% of all fossils are eroding away anyway. Many of these amateurs and commercial hunters are as good as or better than the academic ones. The Black Hills Institute and Peter Larson (a commercial institute) taught me many techniques that have led me to become a responsible fossil hunter. And, the commercial hunters are just collecting for money. How could an academic paleontologist work without getting paid?

S.B: Are you glad that the Field acquired Sue?

S.H: Yes, I am very pleased that she is in Chicago. My first thought about the auction was that it was terrible, but it worked out fine. Morally, I think that the institute was the rightful owner of Sue, though.

S.B: Your life has been very interesting, to say the least. Are you thinking about writing a book, or something to that extent?

S.H: No, I don't write and don't speak. I am somewhat shy and don't really like to talk in front of audiences. Writing takes too much time, and I really wish for ten times the amount of time I have now. I am also getting older, and still love being in the field.

S.B: For someone not very fond of paleontology as a child you have become very successful. How did this come about?

S.H: My introduction into paleontology was a result of my amber collection. For 3-5 years I collected amber in the Dominican Republic. I consulted many leading entomologists during my study of the specimens. They introduced me into paleontology. Also, I have always loved to read and can easily teach myself. My parents taught me I could do anything I wanted to. These served as a basis into paleontology.

S.B: Please describe your amber work a bit more.

S.H: First off, I don't dig it. You could dig for months and find nothing in the Dominican. Instead I buy it from the locals who mine it. During my travels I have acquired several pieces of interest, including a few favorites of mine. I really love the butterflies (there have been only six ever discovered and three of those are mine), giant spiders, a piece with two scorpions on it, and some pieces with vertebrates entrapped. During my work with amber I would usually acquire 1-2 new species every year. I would usually send these off to some of the experts in the field for further research. Some of these have gone on display at the AMNH in New York, and I am going to donate several pieces to the Field.

S.B: You don't actually think that we can create a dinosaur from DNA trapped in amber, do you?

S.H: No, not today or in the future. In the amber that is old enough to have DNA from dinosaurs you simply can't extract it. Maybe we will clone a mammoth in the future. That remains to be seen.

S.B: In addition to the amber and Sue, what other fossil discoveries have you made?

S.H: One of my favorite trips was an expedition to Peru with Peter Larson. I really loved this expedition because we dug in the sea. Pete found the largest shark tooth ever discovered, and we collected some excellent whales. The largest of these is now mounted in Japan. Although it is non related to fossils, I have also worked on many shipwrecks, including a major one in the Philippines in 1993. I call it the "Sue of shipwrecks." I also was part of the team that uncovered Cleopatra's palace in Egypt.

S.B: During his lecture Dr. Brochu mentioned the possibility of T. rex feathers. What do you think about this?

S.H: We don't have evidence, but somehow I don't think T. rex had feathers as an adult. I myself have found skin impressions of duckbills, but of course, no feathers there.

S.B: What does the future hold for you?

S.H: I don't expect to find another Sue, that is for sure! I would really like to go to Siberia and discover a mammoth. Then I would like to mount it in a museum, encased in a block of ice. I am not sure if this will, or can, be done, but it would definitely appeal to the crowds. Also, the construction on my home is now finished, and most of my stuff is there, but not me. It will be a nice place to go back to after projects.

S.B: The Field crowd was wowed by your dog, Skywalker. Just why did you name it Skywalker? Was it a Star Wars thing?

S.H: No, not Star Wars. I got her as a puppy five years ago and traveled with her a lot. I really wanted a name with a traveling theme, and after a few suggestions Skywalker seemed to fit perfectly. She is a very loyal companion and while on my travels many of the kids I meet take a quick liking to her.

S.B: Ms. Hendrickson, thank you, and good luck. I am sure you will be back next year at this time when Sue is mounted.

S.H: Yes, I will. Thank you, Steve.

As we now all know, on May 17, 2000 the Field Museum opened up a new age in paleontology by unveiling the finished mount of Sue the T. rex. For photos of this mount, check out Dino Land's Sue Photo Page. Or, for an article on the unveiling, go to Dino Land's Sue Unveiling Article.

**This interview will appeared in an episode of the Prehistoric Times.

© 1997 brusatte@theramp.net

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