Tyrannosaurus rex was not the largest predator of its time – scientists
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Scientists have established that the fossilized remains of a tyrannosaurus, discovered in New Mexico (USA), belong to the closest relative of the tyrannosaurus rex. Tyrannosaurus mcraensi appeared earlier and was larger than this more famous representative of the species.
For decades, paleontologists classified the find as the remains of a Tyrannosaurus rex (Tyrannosaurus rex). However, in a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, scientists point to differences between these species, writes CNN.
Specifically, according to study co-author Anthony R. Fiorillo, Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis had “a thinner jaw that, even with large teeth, had less bite force.”
Another big difference was that, unlike Tyrannosaurus rex, Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis did not have a prominent protrusion above the eyes. Scientists also believe that Tyrannosaurus rex’s crest, which animals used to attract partners, similar to the horns of deer or elk, was much thinner in Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis.
| The bones of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis were discovered during excavations in New Mexico |
The bones of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis were discovered during excavations in New Mexico decades before the creature was officially given its scientific name. About a quarter of his fossilized skull was found during the 1980s and early 1990s in an area now known as Elephant Butte in New Mexico.
Scientists have established that this tyrannosaurus grew to 12 meters in length and weighed 10 tons.
The identity of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis was revealed decades later by Sebastian G. Dahlman, the study’s first author, who is a paleontological consultant at the Springfield Museum of Science in Massachusetts.
Since 2013, he has been studying tyrannosaurus bones and was the first to come to the conclusion that “they may not belong to a tyrannosaurus rex.”
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| Image: Scientific Reports |
Based on the location of the bones in the formation, the researchers believed that Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis probably lived between 71 and 73 million years ago – 7 million years before Tyrannosaurus rex.
However, why plant-eating dinosaurs grew to gigantic sizes still remains an unsolved mystery, scientists say. They plan to return to the site of the find to continue their research.
“We need to study the paleoecology and the environment in which this animal lived to understand what was so special about New Mexico that Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis grew to such a gigantic size“, Fiorillo concludes.
Read also: Fossilized skin of a reptile that lived before the appearance of dinosaurs was found in the USA
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