US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
Large Shinbone Found in New Mexico Belongs to Close Kin of T. Rex
Researchers analyzed a 74-million-year-old shinbone from New Mexico, identifying it as a giant tyrannosaur close to T. rex, weighing about 4.7 tons, the largest known of its era.
- A new analysis released March 12 shows a large shinbone from New Mexico may belong to an early relative or ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex, reported by Reuters. The tibia is housed at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque.
- Radiometric dating of the Hunter Wash ash layer places the tibia at about 74 million years old in the Late Campanian, found decades ago in the Kirtland Formation by University of New Mexico students.
- The team reports the bone is about 96 centimeters long, and researchers estimate the animal weighed around 4,700 kilograms based on the tibia’s dimensions.
- The team argues this supports a southern Laramidia origin of big tyrannosaurids, and authors say more remains are needed and plan expanded museum-led searches, "to better constrain size and relationships."
- Critics note that a single tibia can't resolve Tyrannosaurus rex origins, as some argue it may belong to Bistahieversor or reflect size effects, requiring a skull to confirm ancestry.
Insights by Ground AI
11 Articles
11 Articles
Almost a metre of leg can say a lot about a dinosaur. A 96-centimeter-long tibia – like a standard Spanish guitar – with 12.8 in diameter – like a dessert dish – reveals that it must have endured about five tons of weight. Its shape and structure tell that it belonged to the great family of Tyrannosaurus rex; the tyrants. The place where it appeared, the Kirtland formation, in New Mexico, United States, confirms that 74 million years ago, long b…
·Spain
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution87% Center
Bias Distribution
- 87% of the sources are Center
87% Center
13%
C 87%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
