Scientists thought this fossil was a teen T. rex. Turns out it's a new tyrannosaur
Summary
Scientists have discovered that a fossil, once thought to be a young T. rex, actually belongs to a new species of tyrannosaur, named Nanotyrannus lancensis. This finding challenges previous beliefs that T. rex was the only tyrannosaur in its time. The research was published in the journal Nature.Key Facts
- Scientists studied a fossil called the "Dueling Dinosaurs," which includes a triceratops and a tyrannosaur.
- The tyrannosaur bones from the fossil were believed to be a teenage T. rex.
- Researchers found these bones belong to a different tyrannosaur species named Nanotyrannus lancensis.
- The study was conducted by paleontologists Lindsay Zanno and James Napoli.
- Most paleontologists previously thought T. rex was the only tyrannosaur species alive at the time.
- The fossil was discovered in the Hell Creek Formation in Montana in 2006.
- The Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences acquired and donated the fossil for study.
- The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences created a special exhibit around this discovery.
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