Montana T. rex trip to Smithsonian postponed

BOZEMAN . (AP) — A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton unearthed in Montana in 1988 looks like it'll be staying in Big Sky Country a little longer due to the government shutdown.

The Wankel T. rex was scheduled to leave the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University in Bozeman next Friday and be trucked across the country to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., on a 50-year loan.

The Museum of the Rockies had requested a Federal Express semitrailer to haul the fragile cargo. On Friday, the museums and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the transfer would be postponed.

The Smithsonian is closed during the shutdown.

Museum of the Rockies marketing director Mark Robinson has said if the move is delayed it might have to wait until spring when the roads are better.