Paleontologists at the University of Kansas exhumed a small jaw of Tyrannosaurus. Researchers are wondering whether this approximately 66.4 million-year-old fossil belongs to a baby T. Rex or a small Tyrannosaurus species that has never been proved as real before, the Nanotyrannus.
A chest full of coins probably would not have pleased the researchers more
Paleontologists at the University of Kansas unearthed a tiny jaw of Tyrannosaurus on the Hell Creek Formation, in Montana. According to the researchers, this is an important discovery for more than one reason.
As the paleontologists pointed out, the fossils of Tyrannosaurs are indeed very rare as there are no more than fifty in the world. Besides, it could be among the few baby T. Rex fossils in the world or the proof of a new small Tyrannosaurus species.
A baby T. Rex or a small Tyrannosaurus species?
This 40 cm jaw has already puzzled the discoverers who are now questioning themselves if this fossil is a young T. Rex or a small Tyrannosaurus species, scientifically known as Nanotyrannus. The existence of this species is not unanimously accepted in the scientific community, thus, the discovery of a fossil belonging to a Nanotyrannus would mean huge for paleontologists.
Besides, paleontologists agree that when they come across smaller dinosaurs fossils it’s very hard for them to know if they’re dealing with juvenile specimens or a different species.
The researchers plan to evaluate the age of the small T. Rex fossil
Paleontologists at the University of Kansas hope, however, to uncover the identity of their dinosaur fossil.
In addition to the analysis of tooth morphology, says paleontologist David Burnham, “we would like to use histology to count tissue growth rings that indicate the age of the fossil. We will go back and search for more bones!”
In conclusion, we will soon find out if the small T. Rex jaw belongs to a baby T. Rex or to a small Tyrannosaurus species, known as Nanotyrannus.
