Tristan the T. rex skeleton celebrates ten years at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.  Since its arrival on December 16th 2015, it has received over five million visitors.  The specimen, representing the first original fossil Tyrannosaurus rex to be exhibited in Europe at the time, has proved to be a huge success.  It has had a measurable impact on tourism in the German city.

Tristan the T. rex exhibit on display at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. Picture credit: Carola Radke Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.

Picture credit: Carola Radke Museum für Naturkunde Berlin

Specimen Number MB. R. 91216 (Tristan the T. rex)

The fossil (specimen number MB. R. 91216) is one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons known to science.  Approximately, one hundred and seventy bones have been preserved.  It has proved to be an extremely popular exhibit. In the years before the coronavirus pandemic (2016–2019), the museum recorded up to 821,489 visitors annually thanks to Tristan (Tristan Otto). The millionth visitor was recorded as early as March 2017.

This iconic fossil has been the subject of numerous television documentaries.  For example, in 2017 naturalist Chris Packham narrated an hour-long documentary on how this twelve-metre-long tyrannosaur was shaping thinking about Tyrannosaurus rex.

To read our article about this broadcast: Tyrannosaur Specimen to Feature in New Television Documentary.

The exhibit’s loan to the Natural History Museum in Copenhagen (2020–2022) and its return in August 2022 made headlines.  On the last day, prior to the exhibit closing for packing and shipping to Denmark, Tristan the T. rex received over twenty-five thousand visitors.

A Treasure Trove for Scientific Research

The Tyrannosaurus rex specimen known as Tristan acquired its nickname simply because it was discovered by a private collector called Tristan Otto during excavations in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana in 2010.

The skull is almost complete.  It is one of the best-preserved tyrannosaur skulls known.  As such, it is a treasure trove for research. For instance, detailed scans of the skull have allowed palaeontologists to reconstruct tyrannosaur nerve fibres and permitted insights into the sense of smell. Traces of disease discovered, including evidence of a bone tumour and toothache, also provide rare insights into the individual life of this animal. Its deep black colouring, typical of fossils from the Hell Creek Formation in Montana (USA), gives it additional visual impact.  Tristan the T. rex has become an icon.

Analysis of fossil material helped Everything Dinosaur team members to reconstruct a scientifically accurate, 1:33 scale replica of Tyrannosaurus rex.  This model has been widely praised by palaeontologists and model collectors.

Everything Dinosaur Evolution T. rex model on top of its beautiful box. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the Everything Dinosaur Evolution T. rex models in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur Evolution Models.

Accessible to Scientists

Despite being privately owned, Tristan is fully accessible to scientists.  Research can continue using this specimen.  It has been catalogued and secured for long-term research and exhibition.  This is an exemplary model of co-operation between public bodies and private ownership.

Mike from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“This tyrannosaur specimen is an excellent example of how a museum and a patron can work together for the benefit of science.  The specimen might be privately owned but it is on public display and also accessible to the scientific community.”

Tristan the T. rex remains a strong brand ambassador for the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.  A total of 5,764,218 people have visited Tristan Otto since 2015.  These visitor numbers demonstrate the lasting appeal of the “King of the Tyrant Lizards”.

Happy tenth anniversary Tristan.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin in the compilation of this article.

The multi-award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Buy Prehistoric Animal Models.

Thank you to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  They kindly provided Everything Dinosaur team members access to a remarkable and rare set of historic photographs.  Researchers from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History have been involved in a new study that reaffirms the validity of the Nanotyrannus genus.  These black and white photographs document the original Nanotyrannus quarry.

Having enquired about a media release that covers this new research, Everything Dinosaur was given access to these rare images.  The photographs provide a visual record of the 1942 fieldwork in Montana led by Dr David Dunkle.  This fieldwork exploring Upper Cretaceous exposures led to the discovery of tyrannosaur skull material that ignited the Nanotyrannus versus juvenile T. rex debate.

One of the photographs of the original Nanotyrannus dig site. Picture credit: Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Picture credit: Cleveland Museum of Natural History

The Original Nanotyrannus Quarry

The photographs provide a rare glimpse into fossil-hunting in the 1940s.  The story of Nanotyrannus (N. lancensis), begins in the summer of 1942.  Dr Dunkle (Cleveland Museum of Natural History) led a fossil-hunting expedition to plot and explore what are now known to represent Hell Creek Formation exposures.  The team discovered several important fossils, none more so than the tyrannosaur skull fossil material.

Dr David Dunkle of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History who led the 1942 fieldwork exploring Hell Creek exposures in Montana that led to the discovery of the Nanotyrannus skull material known as the “Cleveland skull”. Picture credit: Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Picture credit: Cleveland Museum of Natural History

The team unearthed the skull of a theropod dinosaur. No other significant theropod bones were found at the site. Although the skull resembled that of a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, its true identity remained uncertain. Dr Dunkle recognised the importance of the find. In 1945, the specimen was sent to the Smithsonian Institution. There, palaeontologist Charles Whitney Gilmore assigned it to a new species of Gorgosaurus (G. lancensis).

The Skull Fossil Revisited

Decades later, the skull was re-examined. In 1988, a research team that included Cleveland Museum of Natural History curator Dr Michael Williams proposed a bold reinterpretation. They argued the fossil represented a new genus. They named it Nanotyrannus lancensis, meaning “tiny tyrant from the Lance Formation”.

Comparing the size of a Nanotyrannus skull to that of an adult Tyrannosaurus rex. Dr Williams is holding the Nanotyrannus skull. He and his team believed the “Cleveland skull” represented a new theropod species. Picture credit: Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Picture credit: Cleveland Museum of Natural History

A scientific paper published earlier this month, reaffirmed the validity of the Nanotyrannus taxon.  Histology of the hyoid bone associated with the “Cleveland skull” indicates that this skull represents a skeletally mature animal and not a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.

To read Everything Dinosaur’s recent blog post about the Nanotyrannus hyoid bone research: New Nanotyrannus Scientific Paper Strengthens Unique Taxon Theory.

This proposal reignited scientific debate. Over time, many researchers suggested the specimen was a juvenile T. rex. Others disagreed. As discussed in our earlier blog post, recent research has once again shifted opinion. Indeed, a paper published earlier this year also indicates that Nanotyrannus is a valid taxon.

To read our blog post about this research: Nanotyrannus – A New Chapter in Tyrannosaur Evolution.

Documenting a Pivotal Moment in the Study of Hell Creek Biota

The old photographs that Everything Dinosaur team members were able to access document the story of the Nanotyrannus discovery.  They provide a unique record of the fieldwork and subsequent research.  The remote dig site in the Badlands of Montana would have been extremely difficult to access.  Furthermore, the image (below) highlights the difficulties of the terrain.

From the archives of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, an original photograph of the 1942 dig site. Picture credit: Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Picture credit: Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Mike from Everything Dinosaur thanked the media team and added:

“We would like to sincerely thank the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for sharing these exceptional photographs. They capture a pivotal moment in palaeontological history and bring the 1942 expedition to life. These images remind us that the Nanotyrannus story began in the field, long before the scientific debate, and they underline the lasting importance of museum collections and careful documentation.”

Thanks to museum collections and fresh thinking, the Nanotyrannus story continues to evolve.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in the compilation of this article.

The multi-award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur Models and Toys.