Scientists uncover oldest ever ‘T-Rex trackway’ in astonishing bombshell discover
Boffins have made a ground-breaking discovery after they found the oldest ever trackway from an adult Tyrannosaurus rex. The bombshell find has shed light on the behaviour of the prehistoric predator
The tracks were found in the North Dakota badlands(Image: National Science Foundation)
Scientists have unearthed the first known trackway from an adult Tyrannosaurus rex dating back to 66.5 million years ago in a bombshell discovery.
The footprints of the prehistoric apex predator were found in southwestern North Dakota by a team of palaeontologists. The experts found the three-toed footprints in the North Dakota badlands, not far from the state’s border with Montana.
A research paper published in the the Journal of Vertebrate palaeontology stated the dinosaur track was roughly 23 feet long and the toes of the Tyrannosaurus measured around 3.3 feet long.
The spacing between the dinosaur prints revealed it had a stride length of around 13 feet and had a walk speed of around 3.5 to 4.5 mph.
Tyler Lyson, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, stated: “Bones tell us an enormous amount about these animals, but footprints capture a moment of behaviour.”
The tracks have revealed just how fast the predator was moving(Image: National Science Foundation)
The expert added: “With a trackway, we can actually follow an animal as it moved across the landscape. That is incredibly rare for T. rex.”
Kent Hups, a long-time museum volunteer and also co-authored the paper, stated: “As a teacher, I’m always telling my students that science starts with curiosity, passion and careful observation.”
He added: “I never imagined that could lead me to a discovery like this.”
Peter Falkingham, a professor of paleobiology at Liverpool John Moores University and lead author of the study said: “The technology we’re able to apply in the digital age means my colleagues could scan the tracks in the field and then send the 3D information over to me to visualize on my computer and in VR, enabling me to take as close a look as they did in person.”
The development comes after a new study has shown that tyrannosaurs, including the fearsome T-Rex, were not just ferocious predators but also practical scavengers.
The dinosaur track was roughly 23 feet long (Image: National Science Foundation)
Cutting-edge 3D scans of 75-million year old bite marks on a foot bone discovered in the United States indicate that smaller tyrannosaurs didn’t hesitate to dine on their departed relatives.
The study, published in the journal Evolving Earth, was led by Josephine Nielsen from Aarhus University in Denmark. Utilising 3D scanning, she identified 16 bite marks on a fossilised metatarsal belonging to a colossal tyrannosaur.
Ms Nielsen stated: “I have analysed the depth, angle, and placement of the marks in a virtual 3D environment and can document that these bite marks did not occur by chance.
“They are precise impressions from the teeth of a smaller tyrannosaur that fed on a much larger relative.”
