Researchers at the University of Kansas believe that they unearthed a baby dinosaur fossil in Hell Creek Formation in central Montana. The fossil is believed to belong to a baby Tyrannosaurus Rex, but the discovery remains controversial.
Researchers said they discovered the tiny dinosaur’s teeth, the back bone, a complete upper jaw, the hips, foot, and skull. The team speculates that they discovered a baby Tyrannosaur, but they do not rule out the possibility of another species.
David Burnham is confident the remains are those of a T.Rex because the teeth look like those of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Burnham explained that the fossils of young dinosaurs are very rare and very hard to identify as they can be easily mistaken for other dinosaur species.
Scientists are now matching the fossils of older dinosaurs to those they recently unearthed. If they overlap perfectly, the recent remains belong to a younger dinosaur. What’s more, younger dinosaurs’ bones don’t look like mature bones since they are constantly changing.
Baby Dinosaur May Not Be a Young T-Rex
Oftentimes, when somebody finds a baby dinosaur, they think it may be a new species. Researchers warned that such “new” species may be an older species in its youth.
In the past, other bones of baby Tyrannosaurus Rex were unearthed but not all scientists agreed that the fossils were of baby T.Rexes. Some researchers speculate that the miniature fossils may belong to a new dinosaur species.
- Some scientists believe that the remains found in Montana may belong to the Nanotyrannus, a pygmy carnivorous dinosaur related to the T. Rex.
- Other scientists believe the Montana fossil is a genuine baby T.Rex.
The debate dates back to 2003, when a similar fossil was unearthed in Illinois. Researchers have been speculating ever since about the dinosaur remains, with some believing it may be either a Nanotyrannus or a different species that died at a young age.
Image Source: Wikimedia
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