ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A fossil discovery made in New Mexico has revealed evidence that the Tyrannosaurus dinosaur was in North America millions of years before paleontologists previously thought, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque announced on Thursday.
A study by New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science Executive Director Dr. Anthony Fiorillo and other researchers identified a newly discovered subspecies of Tyrannosaur known as Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis.
By analyzing the partial skull and jaw of a Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis found by boaters at Elephant Butte Reservoir in 1983, researchers now believe that the apex predators lived in what’s now the southern United States at least 72 million years ago, long before the first fossils of Tyrannosaurus rex were found in the same region. “These fossils were first recognized and called Tyrannosaurus rex, but science is a process; with each new discovery, it forces us to go back and test and challenge what we thought we knew and that the story, the core story of this project,” said Fiorillo.
The T. rex, perhaps the largest and most dangerous terrestrial predator of all time, suddenly appeared in North America around 66 million years ago, according to the news release and research. “New Mexicans have always known our state is special, now we know that New Mexico has been a special place for tens of millions of years,” Fiorillo added. “This study delivers on the mission of this museum through the science-based investigation of the history of life on our planet.”
The newly discovered Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis was roughly the same size as a T. rex, which measured up to 40 feet long and 12 feet high. They also both ate meat, according to research. While the new discovery predates T. rex, the paper notes that subtle differences in the jaw bones make it unlikely that it was a direct ancestor of the T. rex. “Once again, the extent and scientific importance of New Mexico’s dinosaur fossils becomes clear—many new dinosaurs remain to be discovered in the state, both in the rocks and in museum drawers!” said Dr. Spencer Lucas, paleontology curator at NMMNHS.
Researchers believe Tyrannosaurus likely originated in southern North America and then later expanded into much of the western portion of the continent. The new fossils also suggest that larger, more heavily built, and more advanced species evolved in the southern United States, compared to the smaller and more primitive tyrannosaurs that inhabited Montana and Canada.
The piece of the Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis skull that researchers analyzed is currently on display at the museum. To learn more, visit nmnaturalhistory.org.
Authors of the study include researchers from the University of Bath (UK), University of Utah, The George Washington University, Harrisburg University, Penn State Lehigh Valley, and the University of Alberta. The study was published in the journal “Scientific Reports.”
To learn more about the discovery, click here.
