Bruce Erickson, the Science Museum’s Curator of Paleontology from 1959-2001 was responsible for the discovery of this gigantic T. rex toe bone. When he discovered it in the early 1960s there were only ~10 T. rex skeletons known. You can imagine how excited the crew was to find such a well-preserved bone of the “tyrant lizard king." But that was it – there weren’t any other parts of the skeleton.

This bone never fails to impress kids. Just think about how big the leg is that goes with a toe of this scale! From a more serious perspective, it is also a great illustration of the relationship between dinosaurs and birds – it looks much like the toe bones of modern day birds, and though it may be hard to tell – it is hollow!
– Kristi Curry Rogers, Curator of Paleontology