rare teen T. rex fossils in North Dakota Badlands
teen T. rex fossils discovered during Badlands hike.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
Three young explorers in North Dakota stumbled upon a remarkable find while hiking in the Badlands of North Dakota: a rare teenage Tyrannosaurus rex fossil. The fossil, affectionately dubbed “Teen Rex,” is expected to provide valuable insights into the growth and development of this iconic Cretaceous dinosaur.
The trio of children, aged between 7 and 10, made the discovery in 2022 and assisted in the excavation of the young T. rex bones the following year. This find is particularly significant as it is one of the few juvenile T. rex specimens ever unearthed.
Denver Museum of Nature and Science will be showcasing the partial skeleton of “Teen Rex” later this month, coinciding with the release of a new documentary titled “T. rex” that chronicles the discovery. According to Tyler Lyson, a vertebrate paleontologist at the museum leading the excavation, this find could provide valuable insights into the growth stages of the mighty T. rex.
Rare Discovery of a Young T. rex
The juvenile T. rex, affectionately named “Teen Rex,” measured an impressive 25 feet in length and weighed around 3,500 pounds when it perished over 66 million years ago. This specimen is a rare find, as most T. rex fossils discovered are of fully grown adults reaching lengths of up to 40 feet and weighing around 8,000 pounds.
Brothers Liam and Jessin Fisher, accompanied by their father Sam Fisher and cousin Kaiden Madsen, stumbled upon the fossilized remains of the young T. rex while exploring the Hell Creek Formation. Sam Fisher, a former classmate of Lyson, immediately contacted the paleontologist about their remarkable discovery.
Excavation and Identification
Lyson and his team commenced the excavation of the fossil site almost a year later, with the young Fisher brothers and their 14-year-old sister Emalynn assisting in the process. The excavation unearthed a series of fossils, including a distinctive tooth that Lyson quickly identified as belonging to a T. rex.
Based on the size of the adolescent T. rex’s tibia, which measured 32.3 inches in length, researchers estimated that the dinosaur was in its teenage years. Further analysis of the bones will be conducted to confirm the age of the specimen and gain insights into T. rex growth patterns and bone development.
Public Exhibition and Documentary Release
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science will host a temporary exhibit titled “Discovering Teen Rex,” opening on June 21. Visitors will have the opportunity to witness the analysis of the T. rex bones and learn more about this fascinating discovery.
Simultaneously, the new documentary “T. rex” will premiere on the same day, featuring footage from the “Teen Rex” excavation and using CGI to reconstruct the life of the T. rex from hatchling to adulthood. Thomas Holtz, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Maryland, expressed excitement about the potential insights this discovery could provide into the early stages of T. rex life.
Stay tuned for more updates on this extraordinary find and the fascinating journey into the world of the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex.
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rare T. rex fossils in North Dakota Badlands
teen T. rex fossils found during hike in North Dakota.
