THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PALEONTOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES IN DECADES AND TO HAVE THE EXHIBIT PREMIERE AT ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER IS A PRIVILEGE FOR OUR ORGANIZATION, OUR MEMBERS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
Victoria the T. rex is a special exhibition 66 million years in the making. Providing an intimate glimpse at one of the most ferocious and mysterious creatures ever to walk the earth, it will kick off its five-year global museum tour on November 17 … in Phoenix. Yes, Phoenix. As the past board chair of the Association of Science-Technology Centers, an international organization dedicated to fostering the understanding of science among increasingly
diverse audiences, Humphrey knows the kind of life-changing impact an exhibition like this can make. And as a gifted student-turned-nonprofitexecutive-turned-distinguished-community-leader, Humphrey has seen firsthand how curiosity coupled with access and hard work can open doors in life. So she wielded her power to open a big door to let Victoria tromp into our community. “This is one of the most significant paleontological discoveries in decades and to have the exhibit premiere at Arizona Science Center is a privilege for our organization, our members and our community,” Humphrey said. One of the largest Tyrannosaurus rex fossils ever discovered, Victoria was found in 2013 on private land near Faith, South Dakota, an area famous for its dinosaur fossils. Following a painstaking eight-month excavation process, Victoria’s 66-million-year-old fossilized remains were brought to a lab in British Columbia, where she was meticulously studied and reconstructed bone by bone. (She was named for the Canadian town in which she was rebuilt.) In the process, experts got a fascinating glimpse of Victoria’s life in the Cretaceous period. They learned she was a sub-adult between the ages of 18 and 25, meaning she had reached breeding age but wasn’t quite fully grown. Her well-preserved rib cage indicated she was on the bulky side, with experts estimating her weight at about 10.5 tons, or 21,000 pounds. “That’s huge! I can’t even fathom 10 tons,” Humphrey said, recalling when she first heard