A new dinosaur species, related to the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, has been discovered by paleontologists. The fossils, originally found in the 1970s, were recently reanalyzed after Jared Voris, a Ph.D student in the University of Calgary’s Department of Earth Energy and Environment, noticed the dinosaur remains during a trip to Mongolia in 2023. The new species has been named Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, meaning “Prince of Dragons of Mongolia."
The fossils consisted of two partial skeletons found in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert in the 1970s. A Mongolian paleontologist had initially attributed the remains as those of the meat-eating dinosaur Alectrosaurus olseni, Darla Zelenitsky, an associate professor at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Science, told ABC News. The fossils had not been "seriously" looked at since then, she noted. She was part of a group that authored a study related the new discovery in the journal Nature.
New T-rex relative discovered
According to ABC News, Jared Voris noticed the fossils in a glass case while on a visit to the Central Museum of Dinosaurs of Mongolia. He realized that the remains had characteristics that were never seen before in a Tyrannosaurus species. The skull contained an air cavity close to the nose. The toe bones were attached to the leg of a predator in a different manner.
The results of the study mean that the fossils help fill a gap between the early ancestors of Tyrannosaurus rex and the predators that evolved later. “They’re almost the immediate ancestor of the family that we call tyrannosaurs,” Dr Darla Zelenitsky told the Guardian.
Khankhuuluu mongoliensis: All you need to know
{{/usCountry}}The results of the study mean that the fossils help fill a gap between the early ancestors of Tyrannosaurus rex and the predators that evolved later. “They’re almost the immediate ancestor of the family that we call tyrannosaurs,” Dr Darla Zelenitsky told the Guardian.
Khankhuuluu mongoliensis: All you need to know
{{/usCountry}}The dinosaurs were believed to weigh around 750 kilos. The creature was about four meters in length. According to Voris, if humans had lived at the same time as the dinosaur, they would have been a perfect meal for the Khankhuuluu. As per researchers, the species was related to the Eutyrannosaurias, which originated in North America and included T-rex.
The discovery sheds light on Alioramus, a group of small, long-nosed tyrannosaurs also called “Pinocchio rexes.” Some experts had proposed that the species might sit closer to the ancestors of tyrannosaurs than believed earlier. However, the discovery of the Khankhuuluu has shown this was not the case.
The T-Rex was among the biggest predators in North America until 66 million years ago, when an asteroid slammed into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out three-quarters of all life on Earth.
FAQs
1.What is Khankhuuluu mongoliensis?
It is a new dinosaur species related to the Tyrannosaurus rex. Its name means “Prince of Dragons of Mongolia”.
2. Why is Tyrannosaurus rex so famous?
The dinosaur was an apex predator. Its size, speed and portrayal in films has made it among the most famous dinosaurs of all time.
3. When were the fossils first discovered?
The fossils of the Khankhuuluu mongoliensis were found in Mongolia in the 1970s.