Tinker: Abu Dhabi’s largest inhabitant

A handout photo of Tinker, the skeleton of a juvenile T-Rex is currently on display at the Etihad Modern Art Gallery in Abu Dhabi. (Courtesy: Etihad Modern Art Gallery)
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Allow me to introduce you to Tinker, possibly Abu Dhabi’s largest inhabitant and definitely its oldest. Tinker is the skeleton of a female juvenile Tyrannosaurus Rex who is currently hanging out in Etihad Modern Art Gallery.

At 7.5 metres long, she fills the main gallery space downstairs nose-to-tail and she is approximately 65 million years old. What is interesting is that Tinker is the only one of her kind in the world - by that I mean she is the only juvenile T-Rex skeleton ever found.

Besides this, Tinker is also one of the most complete skeletons. Over 50% of the bones are represented and the bone quality is excellent.

Having her here in Abu Dhabi is an important indicator as to how many key cultural players we have in our capital. Tinker is sponsored by the Atlas Group and the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and is part of an ongoing partnership between the gallery and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which is where Tinker used to call home.

* To visit Tinker at Etihad Modern Art Gallery, opening hours are from 10am-10pm Saturday-Thursday. For more information visit the website.