Sue at The Field Museum

Sue's Skull: CT Scans of Sue

In August 1998, Sue’s skull traveled to California where it spent 500 hours inside one of the world’s most powerful CT scanners. Owned by The Boeing Company, it is used as a tool for finding hidden flaws in jet engines and space shuttle parts. CT scanning uses powerful x-rays to create highly detailed images of an object--both inside and out. (Image Courtesy of Chris Brochu)

In Sue’s case the scanner created 748 wafer-thin images, each just two millimeters (about a sixteen of an inch) thick. With the help of a computer program, it is now possible to take a virtual journey through T. rex’s head. Much of this is uncharted territory, and it is opening up entire new areas of study for scientists. (© The Field Museum GN89238_06c)

View a Quicktime Movie of Sue's CT Scan. Continue >>

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