Documentary
United States of America
Dinosaur 13 is a documentary film that chronicles the discovery, excavation, and legal battles over the fossilized skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex named "Sue." In 1990, paleontologist Peter Larson and his team from the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research unearthed the nearly complete skeleton in South Dakota, which they nicknamed "Sue" after Larson's colleague Sue Hendrickson.
The discovery of Sue was a landmark moment in the field of paleontology, as it was the largest and most well-preserved T. Rex ever found. Larson and his team spent years carefully excavating and preparing the skeleton for display and study, attracting worldwide attention and even appearing on the cover of National Geographic.
However, in 1992, the FBI and National Guard arrived at the institute and seized Sue, claiming that the fossil had been illegally taken from federal land. This sparked a lengthy and expensive legal battle between the government and Larson, who argued that he had obtained the fossil legally and had followed proper protocol in securing permission to excavate on private land.
The film delves into the personal toll of the legal battle on Larson and his team, who faced financial ruin, imprisonment, and public backlash. It also explores the larger issues surrounding the ownership and control of fossils, as well as the conflicting interests of commercial collectors, scientific institutions, and government agencies.
Overall, Dinosaur 13 is a gripping and thought-provoking documentary that sheds light on the complex and often contentious world of paleontology and the struggle to preserve and understand the ancient world.
