Coming Attractions

A Tyrannosaur named Sue

Recommended activities for the coming weeks

Column by Clarke Reader
Posted 2/17/21

For many people, the Tyrannosaurus rex is the dinosaur, and it’s easy to understand why. There’s no animal today that comes close to the sheer intimidation and raw power that this Cretaceous-era …

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Coming Attractions

A Tyrannosaur named Sue

Recommended activities for the coming weeks

Posted

For many people, the Tyrannosaurus rex is the dinosaur, and it’s easy to understand why. There’s no animal today that comes close to the sheer intimidation and raw power that this Cretaceous-era dinosaur possessed. But there’s still a lot to learn about this predator. And that’s where SUE comes in.

SUE the T. rex is the most complete and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus to be discovered so far - it was discovered by Sue Hendrickson (hence its nickname) in South Dakota in 1990. More than 30 years later, it is still offering scientists all kinds of glimpses into the life and times of the “King of the Tyrant Lizards.” And now Denver residents can enter SUE’s world and see the animal itself at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

“We had SUE in 2012 and it was in a different setup back then. That’s because we’re changing our views o dinosaurs all the time,” said Dr. Joe Sertich, museum curator of dinosaurs. “In 10 years, SUE could be back with a completely different setup based on new discoveries.”

SUE: The T. rex Experience will be on display at the museum, 2001 Colorado Blvd. in Denver, through April 25. A timed ticket for museum entry and a separate timed ticket for entry into the SUE exhibit is required.

 

The exhibit - on loan from the Field Museum in Chicago — features an exact cast of SUE’s skeleton, which according to provided information measures 40 feet from snout to tail and 13 feet tall at the hip. To help visitors get a sense of what the animal actually looked like, there is also a full-sized replica of SUE - with a sample of what it would’ve dined on. The exhibit also features animations, touchable bronze casts of SUE’s bones and a multimedia light show that provides insight into what the fossils teach.

As is so often the case, it’s the museum’s additions from its own collections that give the exhibit added depth and nuance. And when it comes to Colorado and dinosaurs, there’s a lot to say.

“The first Triceratops fossils were found in the area in 1887 in what is now the Highlands neighborhood,” Sertich said. “Focusing on SUE’s world highlights that this is very much a Denver Museum story as well. I think there’s no better exhibit for this museum than SUE.”

There are more than 20 specimens from the museum featured in the exhibit include part of the Triceratops found at a construction site in Highlands Ranch in 2019, the jaw from the Torosaurus that was found in Thornton in 2017 and more.

“It has taken a long time from the early days of the dinosaur rush to see these animals as living, breathing creatures who were always changing,” Sertich said. “All this teaches us a lot about life responded to change back then, and that has relevance to today.”

For more information on SUE and ticketing, visit dmns.org.

 

Anythink libraries spread the good word

Anythink libraries has launched the One Kind Word Project to help spread kindness throughout the community. The program allows residents to pick up notecards and artistic supplies at their local Anythink location through February to create custom cards that spread cheer to those in need.

According to provided information, cards can be returned to library locations, where they will be collected and distributed to organizations across Adams County.

Additionally, people can call 303-405-3222 to leave or hear uplifting messages from fellow community members. Callers can also sign up to have messages automatically delivered to their phones once a day. Meanwhile customers can also tune in to 91.9 FM while using Anythink’s curbside services or visit anythinklibraries.org to hear messages.

 

Clarke’s Concert of the Week - Wild Pink: Upstate in New York

Wild Pink is one of the best alt-rock bands working right now that nowhere near enough people know about. The New York-based group specializes in the kind of autumnal, anthemic rock that groups like The War on Drugs brought to a wider audience.

 

The group’s new album, “A Billion Little Lights,” was released on Friday, Feb. 19, and to celebrate the group will be playing the album from front to back on the Wild Pink: Upstate in New York livestream at 7 p.m. that night. According to a post from the band, the songs have been rearranged and stripped down, so it should be a beautiful way to sample the new tunes.

Visit www.wildpink.bandcamp.com/merch/wild-pink-upstate-in-new-york to get a viewing spot.

 

Streaming style - Side Stories series

Side Stories, the popular outdoor cinematic series, will be returning for the month of February at the Broadway-facing exterior wall of the History Colorado Center.

The “Greatest Hits” series features films broadcast on the side of the center from 6-10 p.m. nightly. Each week will feature different themes and genres. According to provided information, all the films last from three to seven minutes each.

Visit www.sidestoriescolorado.com for social media links and more information.

 

Clarke Reader’s column on culture apears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.

Clarke Reader, Coming Attractions, Denver, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, DMNS, dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex, T. rex, SUE, Joe Sertich, SUE: The T. rex Experience, Field Museum, Thornton, Highlands Ranch, Triceratops, Torosaurus, Anythink Libraries, One Kind Word Project, Adams County, libraries, Wild Pink, The War on Drugs, music, live music, concerts, livestream, Wild Pink: Upstate in New York, film movies, Side Stories, History Colorado Center

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