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Scientists Unveil First Adult T. Rex Trackway
Confirmed
In Short: A rare discovery of a 23-foot-long trackway, consisting of four three-toed footprints, provides direct evidence of how an adult T. rex moved.
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have unveiled the first continuous trackway attributable to an adult Tyrannosaurus rex, providing direct evidence of how this iconic dinosaur moved. The trackway, discovered by Kent Hups, a high school science teacher and amateur fossil hunter, in North Dakota, consists of four large, three-toed prints, each around 3.3 feet in length. This find, documented in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, is significant as it offers the first direct data on T. rex locomotion.
The trackway, spanning approximately 23 feet, was found in the Hell Creek Formation, a geological layer rich in dinosaur fossils. The size and shape of the prints, combined with the narrow angle between the toe impressions, and the abundance of T. rex bones in the surrounding rock, led the paleontologists to conclude that an adult T. rex was the most likely trackmaker. This discovery is particularly rare, as isolated T. rex footprints have been found before, but a continuous trackway has eluded scientists until now.
Kent Hups, a teacher at Northglenn High School, expressed his excitement about the discovery, stating, "As a teacher, I’m always telling my students that science starts with curiosity, passion, and careful observation." The team used high-resolution 3D surface scanning to document each footprint and the full trackway, creating detailed digital models and physical 3D reproductions. These models allow scientists to examine the tracks in detail, providing valuable insights into the movement and behavior of T. rex.
The significance of this discovery extends beyond the scientific community. According to Tyler Lyson, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, "That is incredibly rare for T. rex." The trackway not only offers a unique glimpse into the past but also underscores the importance of continued fossil research in understanding prehistoric life.
The trackway's discovery is part of a broader project investigating the impact of wildfires on Welsh landscapes. While wildfires at Mynydd Llangynidr in Bannau Brycheiniog have caused catastrophic damage, the focus on T. rex tracks highlights the ongoing efforts to uncover and document the rich fossil history of North America. The trackway, spanning 23 feet, is the first of its kind, making it a crucial piece of evidence in the study of T. rex behavior and movement.
What's confirmed
- With a trackway, we can actually follow an animal as it moved across the landscape.” “That is incredibly rare for T.
What's still developing
- In 2023, scientists used a portable MA-XRF imaging device to study ancient Egyptian paintings, part of a broader project investigating tomb chapels in the Theban Necropolis.
- The resulting digital models allow scientists to examine the tracks in detail and create physical 3D reproductions, including dinosaur track expert, Peter Falkingham, a professor of paleobiology at Liverpool John Moores University who was lead author of the study.
- "It is now time to stop acting surprised that our warming planet keeps getting warmer. This is occurring exactly as forecast by scientists literally decades ago," Texas A&M University climate scientist Andrew Dessler said in an email.
- Several scientists said while El Nino is a factor, this natural and temporary warming of parts of the Pacific that warps and warms weather globally is nowhere as big a cause as the heat-trapping gases emitted as humans burn coal, oil and natural gas.
- August's sizzle also helped push the globe and the United States to swelter through the hottest Northern Hemisphere summer scientists have measured.
- Other tyrannosaur trackways found in Canada and Wyoming were made by smaller animals — either younger Tyrannosaurus or related, smaller species.
- The trackway consists of four tridactyl footprints arranged as two left and two right, spread across roughly 7 meters (about 23 feet) of ancient floodplain.
- Here are the key measurements the study documents: Scientists cannot confirm T.