Peter Lars Larson is an American paleontology researcher and fossil hunter, and has made a business out of selling and preparing fossils.
He was born and raised outside of the city of Mission in South Dakota. He went to university in Rapid City, South Dakota, and got his bachelor's degree in 1974. Today he is the president of the Black Hills Institute, a business he founded that specializes in fossil excavation, preparing and selling fossils and fossil replicas to museums and private investors.
Peter Larson has been involved with some controversy, mostly around the fact that he is involved with the commercial fossil industry, which some people view as a hinderance to the scientific process. He was also imprisoned by the United States Government for a number of charges after his discovery of "Sue" (the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimen discovered), involving money laundering, customs violations, and theft.
Peter Larson is credited with finding the most Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons, including the most complete specimen (nicknamed "Sue"), and the largest specimen (nicknamed "Stan"). He has also been involved in the discovery and description in a number of other specimens.
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