During a family trip in the US, three children (pictured above) accidentally found the remains of a young Tyrannosaurus rex. The fossil skeleton – called ‘Teen Rex’ – can now be admired in an exhibition, the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver announced.
Brothers Liam and Jessin were reportedly seven and ten years old, and their cousin Kaiden was nine years old, when they came across a large fossilized leg during a family hike in July 2022 in Badlands National Park, North Dakota. They then turned with photos to Tyler Lyson, an old friend of their father who works as a paleontologist at the museum in Denver.
The researcher excavated the remains last year together with colleagues, supported by the boys’ family and accompanied by a film team. Until then, the young T. rex would have been in this location for about 67 million years. The bones were taken by helicopter to the museum in the US state of Colorado, where they can be seen from June 21.
A third of the skeleton found
About a third of the entire skeleton of the young T. rex was found, it was said. “The find is particularly exciting because a majority of Tyrannosarus rex fossils discovered to date are from adults,” explains Lyson, who himself discovered dinosaur fossils in the same area as a child. “Fossils from a younger animal can be used in research to shed light on various aspects of dinosaur life, such as growth patterns.”
Animals lived 70 million years ago
Tyrannosaurus rex lived about 70 million years ago and was one of the largest land-dwelling carnivores of all time. Based on the size of the bones, the scientists estimate that the specimen they have now found was only 13 to 15 years old when it died. “Teen Rex” was about 7.6 meters long and three meters high and weighed about 1,600 kilograms – making it about two-thirds the size of an adult animal.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
