Technologue.id, Jakarta – Scientists have reevaluated a partial skull first found in 1983 in southeastern New Mexico. They concluded that the fossils they found represented a new species of Tyrannosaurus, a fearsome apex predator of western North America during the time of the dinosaurs.
Researchers examining the ancient animal focused on the skull area, concluding that a species called Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis lived several million years before T. rex and was comparable in size, the researchers said Thursday. The skull had previously been identified as a T. rex.
Other researchers have expressed doubt that the fossil represents a new species of Tyrannosaurus, stating that the differences between it and other T. rex skulls are insignificant and the study’s conclusion that the fossil is dated 71-73 million years old is problematic, cited by Thehindu.
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T. rex is the only species of the Tyrannosaurus genus recognized since the dinosaur was first described in 1905. For your information, a genus is a larger grouping of related organisms than a species.
T. rex fossils show that this animal existed several million years before the asteroid hit Earth 66 million years ago, causing the destruction of the dinosaurs.
The first New Mexican skull fragment was discovered near the base of Kettle Top Butte in 1983, and others were discovered later.
Paleontologist Anthony Fiorillo, executive director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and co-author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports, said about 25 percent of the skull was collected. Most of the skull and upper jaw were missing.
2024-01-13 13:04:07
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