New species of dinosaur discovered that 'rewrites' T.rex family tree
- Paleontologists published in Nature a study on Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, a new mid-size tyrannosaur species from Mongolia that lived about 85 million years ago.
- The discovery followed reanalysis of two partial skeletons found in Mongolia in 1972-73, previously assigned to Alectrosaurus but now recognized as a distinct species.
- Khankhuuluu weighed about 750 kilograms, stood roughly 2 meters tall at the hips, had long slender legs and a lightly built skull indicating agility but weaker bite forces than later tyrannosaurs.
- Jared Voris described Khankhuuluu as an intermediate species linking smaller tyrannosauroid ancestors to the much larger apex predator tyrannosaurs, while Darla Zelenitsky characterized it as an early, smaller "prince" rather than a dominant "king" within the tyrannosaur lineage.
- The evidence indicates that tyrannosauroids first evolved in Asia and later migrated to North America around 90 million years ago, paving the way for the development of T. rex and other large predators that thrived during the late Cretaceous period.
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The "Dragon Prince of Mongolia" has been, according to a new study, the graceful ancestor of Tyrannosaurus, king of dinosaurs.
New series of dinosaur discovered that rewrites history of T-Rex
Researchers have identified a new dinosaur species within a Mongolian museum's existing collection, fundamentally altering scientific understanding of tyrannosaur evolution.The 86-million-year-old fossils represent the nearest known ancestor to all tyrannosaurs, the predatory group that includes Tyrannosaurus rex.Published in Nature, the finding sheds light on the transformation of these creatures from diminutive hunters into the fearsome predat…
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