RTMP 81.6.1 better known as ‘Black Beauty’ is a Tyrannosaurus specimen that currently housed in Royal Tyrrell Museum.

The fossil was discovered in 1980 by Jeff Baker, a high schooler, while he and his friend were on a fishing trip around Crowsnest Pass, Alberta and showed their teacher. Soon, the teacher contacted Royal Tyrrell Museum and they started digging at near the confluence of Crowsnest and Willow Rivers.

The specimen is called ‘Black Beauty’ due to the shiny dark color fossils. And how ‘Black Beauty’ got their famous color and name is due to the bones being were darkened by manganese in the water during fossilization thus the the bones turned black.

As of right now, ‘Black Beauty’ is the smallest adult Tyrannosaurus specimen in the world although there are cases for smaller adults out in archives and collectives alike.

‘Black Beauty’ is truly a wonderful specimen.

Photograph belongs to Madeleine Holland