A Stunning Paleontological Revelation!

In a jaw-dropping revelation from the world of paleontology, scientists announced on Wednesday the discovery of a new species of tyrannosaur that alters our understanding of T-Rex's history. The previously misidentified bones, which have been tucked away for 50 years in a Mongolian institute, belong to a long-lost ancestor of the formidable Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Meet Khankhuuluu mongoliensis!

This slender dinosaur, measuring around four metres in length and weighing approximately 750 kilograms, is akin to a massive horse, according to study co-author Darla Zelenitsky from the University of Calgary. The fossils, unearthed in southeastern Mongolia during the early 1970s, were mistakenly attributed to a different tyrannosaur species, Alectrosaurus.

For decades, these fossils lay forgotten in the drawers at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Paleontology in Ulaanbaatar. But everything changed when PhD student Jared Voris rediscovered them during a visit to Mongolia, sparking a new chapter in dinosaur research.

A New Era in Understanding Tyrannosaur Evolution!

Named Khankhuuluu mongoliensis—meaning 'dragon prince' of Mongolia—this discovery sheds light on a previously convoluted family tree of tyrannosaurs, previously thought to be muddled. Zelenitsky emphasized that this find clarifies numerous aspects of their evolutionary history.

The Journey from Asia to North America!

Around 20 million years before the cataclysmic asteroid impacted Earth, leading to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs, Khankhuuluu is believed to have traversed from Asia to North America over an ancient land bridge connecting Siberia and Alaska. These migrations spawned diverse tyrannosaur lineages across the continent.

One of these lineages eventually made its way back to Asia, resulting in two distinct subgroups: one was the diminutive 'Pinocchio rex' with its elongated snout, while the other included massive species like Tarbosaurus, which narrowly missed the sheer size of T-Rex. Ultimately, these evolutionary paths climaxed with the ascendancy of the T-Rex, which reigned for a mere two million years before the planet was rocked by an extraterrestrial catastrophe.

What Other Secrets Might Be Hiding?

The discovery fuels speculation that further hidden treasures await in the drawers of paleontological institutes worldwide, potentially waiting to rewrite the history of our planet's mighty prehistoric giants. Stay tuned as researchers unravel the dark past of dinosaurs, one fossil at a time!