Mongolia’s ‘Dragon Prince’ Dinosaur Was Forerunner of Tyrannosaurus Rex

Mongolia’s ‘Dragon Prince’ Dinosaur Was Forerunner of Tyrannosaurus Rex

A newly identified mid-sized dinosaur from Mongolia dubbed the “Dragon Prince” has been identified as a pivotal forerunner of Tyrannosaurus rex in an illuminating discovery that has helped clarify the famous predator’s complicated family history.

Khankhuuluu is a new T. rex dinosaur relative from Mongolia

Meet The 'Prince of Dragons': The Dino Who Shaped the T. rex Legacy and Started the Tyrannosaur Dynasty

Around 86 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period, the Earth was home to a wide variety of formidable predators. Among these was Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, a relatively small yet significant dinosaur whose discovery has transformed paleontologists’ understanding of the origins of the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. The newly identified species was unearthed from the Bayanshiree Formation in southeastern Mongolia, a site rich in prehistoric…