Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis was roughly the same size as its T. rex relative, but had subtle differences (Credit: Sergey Krasovskiy).
Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis was roughly the same size as its T. rex relative, but had subtle differences (Credit: Sergey Krasovskiy). Restudy of fossils collected in New Mexico digs up key clues about T. rex's origins in North America. Published on Thursday 11 January 2024 Last updated on Thursday 11 January 2024 - A new study published in Scientific Reports reshapes our understanding of how the most famous dinosaur to ever walk the earth - Tyrannosaurus rex - first arrived in North America by introducing its earliest known relative on the continent. The study identifies a newly discovered subspecies of tyrannosaur known as Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis . The newly discovered predator is older and more primitive than its better-known cousin, but just as large - roughly the size of a double-decker bus. The study was based on a partial skull collected years ago from western New Mexico, currently on display at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS), which shows that Tyrannosaurus was in North America millions of years before palaeontologists previously thought. Contributing authors on the study include researchers from the University of Bath (UK), NMMNHS, University of Utah, The George Washington University, Harrisburg University, Penn State Lehigh Valley, and the University of Alberta.
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