Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Tinker, T. rex, Trouble

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with info on ‘Tinker’, esp. Dan, Ed, and Toni!

Ed tells me that Tinker used to have a website, kidrex.com, and that you can still access a partial archive of the website through archive.org and HERE.

According to the old site:
"Tinker" is the near-complete skeleton of a rex youngster, an individual two-thirds adult size, but only one-fourth adult weight. We think we have over 70% of Tinker with at least something from each section of the body, from jaws to tail tip vertebrae."
Also from the site:
The Discovery Team was Ron "Tinker" Frithiof, Mike Harrell, Melody Harrell, Kim Hollrah with Dr. Robert T. Bakker, paleontologist and D.L. Grimm & Associates, marketing and promotion.

Photo from the now defunct website of some of the skull of Tinker.
Dan also points us to a post over at the Dinosaur Mailing List (hosted by the CMNH) that explains all.

Has there been a T.rex dug up since ‘Sue’™ that has NOT caused trouble for someone? Let’s cue up Alan Price singing a reworked version of “The House of The Rising Sun” as we ride into the night:
“There is a [T.rex] in [western USA]
They call the [insert ‘cute’ name]
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I'm one”