<p>From Friday 15 April Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum will be the first ever Museum in the world to display <a href="/visit/exhibitions/trex-peter"><strong><em>Peter the T. rex</em></strong></a>. A fully grown mature adult, Peter is twelve metres long, nearly four metres high and displayed in his hunting position. This rare specimen is one of a small number of almost complete fossil <em>Tyrannosaurus rex </em>skeletons in the world and the first real <em>T. rex </em>fossil ever to be exhibited in Aotearoa New Zealand.</p> <p>Visitors can get up close and learn about some of the incredible anatomical features of one of the largest land predators of all time and find out how it lived and died. Free for all visitors, this will be the first time this rare and real specimen has ever been on display.</p> <p>Key facts relating to this <em>T. rex</em> have been established by leading academic palaeontologists Dr David Burnham, Dr Bruce Rothschild and Dr John Nudds in a <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gsxjt5a949fhmv3/AAC5x7EOmTyDAFUW2wk7OoMJa?dl=0">Scientific Report</a>. Discovered in 2018 in Wyoming, USA Dr Burnham calculated the completeness of fossils of Peter using bone density, a technique pioneered by the Field Museum in Chicago, home to “Sue”, one of the most complete <em>T. rex</em> in the world.</p> <p>“Peter the <em>T. rex</em> is 47% complete using the Field Museum methodology, making him one of the top ten most complete <em>T. rex </em>in the world. We are fortunate in having a significant number of Peter’s largest bones, many of which are incredibly well-preserved,” says Dr David Burnham of the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, USA.</p> <p>Dr Nudds from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, at the University of Manchester, says, “Nearly all <em>T. rex</em> are brown. Peter is an incredibly rare and visually stunning obsidian black in colour. Only four black <em>T. rex</em> have ever been discovered; the other three are displayed in prestigious natural history museums around the world.”</p> <p>Details in the scientific report reveal this <em>T. rex</em> was undoubtedly fed upon, and most likely killed, by another <em>T. rex</em>. There is severe damage to the leg bones (femur and tibia), which can only be due to the jaw mechanics of an animal with an incredible bite force. In the Late Cretaceous period, the most powerful bite belonged to a <em>T. rex</em>.</p> <p>Dr Matt Rayner, Curator Land Vertebrates at Auckland Museum says “It’s exciting to be able to host one of the most complete <em>T. rex</em> skeletons in the world as it goes on show for the first time. A <em>T. rex</em> skeleton is an incredibly rare sight in New Zealand and one containing real fossils is even rarer.”</p> <p>Over the period that the <em>T. rex</em> is in Tāmaki Makaurau, a series of exciting public programmes, both paid and free of charge, will ensure every visitor can engage more deeply and learn more. Events will include an immersive dinosaur performance that allows visitors to get up-close and personal with an amazing array of prehistoric creatures, a junior palaeontology programme, dinosaur themed birthday parties at the Museum and the free interactive educational programme <em>Treasures and Tales: Dino Wars!</em> and <em>Fascinating Fossils</em> (details to be announced).</p> <p>Dr David Gaimster, Chief Executive at Auckland Museum, says “2022 and 2023 will see the Museum host a series of major international touring exhibitions dedicated to global prehistory and ancient civilisations, allowing New Zealanders to explore the world that came before us. We are delighted to bring these special experiences to Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa and we will be announcing more details shortly.”</p> <p><strong><em>Peter the T. rex</em></strong> is an absolute must-see, this is an epic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come face to face with a real <em>T. rex</em> up-close and personal.</p> <p>Free with Museum entry, <strong><em>Peter the T. rex</em></strong> comes to Tāmaki Makaurau from Friday 15 April 2022 and is on for a limited time until Sunday 4 September 2022.</p> <p><a href="/visit/exhibitions/trex-peter"><strong>PETER THE T.REX</strong></a><br /> <strong>FRI 15 APR - SUN 4 SEP 2022<br /> TE AO MĀRAMA SOUTH ATRIUM</strong><br /> <strong>Free with Museum entry </strong></p>
Watch a T. rex install timelapse
