First name of the paleontologist who in 1990 noticed some large vertebrae jutting from an eroding bluff in South Dakota

Find out the Final Jeopardy Answer for the episode airing on Thursday, September 21 2023!

Today’s Final Jeopardy Category is: First Names in Science

Today’s Final Jeopardy

First name of the paleontologist who in 1990 noticed some large vertebrae jutting from an eroding bluff in South Dakota

Final Jeopardy Answer

The Final Jeopardy Answer is: Sue

Final Jeopardy Explanation

The individual who spotted large dinosaur vertebrae sticking out from a decaying cliff in South Dakota in 1990 was paleontologist Sue Hendrickson. She came upon this extraordinary find while her team, headed by Peter Larson, was dealing with vehicle issues and had briefly paused their expedition. Hendrickson decided to use the time to investigate a nearby rock face, where she made the significant discovery.

The recovered skeleton turned out to be one of the most complete T. rex specimens ever found and was named “Sue” after its discoverer. A complex legal struggle followed, involving the person who owned the land, the U.S. government, and the Black Hills Institute, the entity overseeing the excavation. The end result was that the fossil was confiscated by the federal authorities and put up for auction.

Ultimately, Chicago’s Field Museum successfully bid for the skeleton, making it a permanent exhibit. The T. rex, affectionately called “Sue,” now offers a treasure trove of scientific data while also serving as a popular attraction for museum-goers.

Final Jeopardy Video & Today’s Highlights

Check out highlights from the most recent episode before today’s episode is aired

More Final Jeopardy!

• Films made outside the U.S. in the ’50s like ‘Three Coins in the Fountain’ and ‘Quo Vadis’ led to an era dubbed ‘Hollywood on’ this river
• A review said this 1966 book about real events “will cause a good deal of myopic squabbling about just what a novel is”
• A Nov. 29 1983 N.Y. Times article about these used “near-riot”, “adoptable”, “waiting for 8 hours” & “my life (is) in danger
• Telling the story of a duke, a jester & the jester’s daughter, it was written by poet Francesco Maria Piave
• She’s introduced in an 1845 novella in which she wears a short skirt with her Mantilla thrown back to show her shoulders
• Like their uniform, the flag of this group created in 1506 has stripes of red, blue & yellow, the colors of the Medici family
• This title character of the top song from 1996 can’t stand her boyfriend Vitorino & spurns him to be with his 2 friends
• It launched its first satellite, Asterix, in 1965
• In 1694 the latest in bio-knowledge was Tournefort’s ‘Elements of Botany’ listing 698 of these, like ambrosia & chrysanthemeum
• This entire capital is a World Heritage Site “linked to the history of the military & charitable order of St. John of Jerusalem

Jeopardy! Recaps

• Final Jeopardy 5/13/24 (Cinema History) & Who Won Monday May 13 2024
• Final Jeopardy 5/10/24 (20th Century Books) & Who Won Friday May 10 2024
• Final Jeopardy 5/9/24 (1980s Fads) & Who Won Thursday May 9 2024
• Final Jeopardy 5/8/24 (Rhyme Time: Opera Version) & Who Won Wednesday May 8 2024
• Final Jeopardy 5/7/24 (Historic Groups) & Who Won Tuesday May 7 2024
• Final Jeopardy 5/6/24 (Historic Groups) & Who Won Monday May 6 2024
• Final Jeopardy 5/3/24 (1990s No. 1 Songs) & Who Won Friday May 3 2024
• Final Jeopardy 5/2/24 (Countries with Space Programs) & Who Won Thursday May 2 2024
• Final Jeopardy 4/30/24 (Fictional Groups) & Who Won Tuesday April 30 2024
• Final Jeopardy 4/29/24 (Nicknames) & Who Won Monday April 29 2024

Wheel of Fortune Recap

• Wheel of Fortune May 13 2024: Bonus Puzzle, All Answers & Winner