Tyrannosaurus Samson


Samson, a Tyrannosaurus rex named in recognition of the beast's reputation as the strongest dinosaur of the late Cretaceous period, was discovered in South Dakota in 1992. PFP was involved with many stages of Samson's preparation. From packing and shipping the fossilized remains, to freeing the fossil from their plaster field jackets, to fabricating the armatures used to hold Samson's bones in a dramatic pose, PFP ensured that the impressive specimen was treated with care and prepared for display.

Samson's remarkably well-preserved skull, which appears to be both complete and undistorted despite 65 million years of geological movement, is a significant contribution to the world of paleontology. Serving as a link between Samson's private owner and the scientific community, PFP introduced Samson's owner to the staff of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, thus enabling the museum's PaleoLab staff to access and study the specimen. Samson's 1,500 pound skull was also carefully crated and shipped to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, so it could be examined using an industrial CT scanner. The CT scans were compiled to create virtual 3D images of the interior of Samson's skull, thereby providing the scientific community with additional information on the anatomy and physiology of T. rex.


To view more images, please click HERE


To visit the Carnegie Museum's Paleolab page, please click HERE.


To read a NASA article on the CT scan of Samson, please click HERE.