Re: Some Speculation (Carnosaur pack hunting)

[Mikiel <Mikiel@ASU.Edu>]

On Fri, 3 Feb 1995, DORSETT MICHAEL ERIK wrote:

> I think I recall reading a message only yesterday that stated "Sue" had a 
> broken leg  that was allowed to heal. I wonder if someone has more 
> information on the subject? Was  her (Sue) leg allowed time to refuse as 
> to allow locomotion once again, or did the leg only appear to show 
> "signs" of partial healing before death? Any clearification on the matter 
> would be greatly appreciated. THANKS! 

        I saw Pete Larson about two years ago when he came to ASU to give 
a lecture on "Tyrannosaurus rex and Sexual Dimorphism."  At the time, he 
was legally restrained from discussing the legal aspects of the Sue fiasco,
but he talked quite a bit about Sue herself.
        The broken leg in question was a compound fracture that had 
completely healed.  There is no way an animal of this size could have 
walked on this leg until it had almost completely healed.  Was another 
rex feeding her?  Did she simply starve herself until her leg healed?  
Hard to say.
        Sue had an unusual number of pathologies besides her leg 
fracture.  Apparently she had teeth marks from other tyrannosaurids on her 
snout, these had also healed.  Furthermore, the tooth of another mature 
rex was found embedded in a healed bone in Sue's neck.  The suggestion was 
that she had been fighting with another rex, and they had been nipping
each others noses, etc.  Sounds like a helluva dog-fight. :-)
        Larson suggests that she may have died in a fight with another 
rex.  The left side of her face had been ripped away, and since it showed 
no evidence of having healed, she probably died from the injury.
        That's about all the further info I have on her.

-Mikiel