Current:Home > MarketsThree boys discovered teenage T. rex fossil in northern US: 'Incredible dinosaur discovery' -Elite Financial Minds
Three boys discovered teenage T. rex fossil in northern US: 'Incredible dinosaur discovery'
View
Date:2025-04-13 09:27:24
The remains of a juvenile T. rex in North Dakota were stumbled upon not by a group of skilled paleontologists, but rather by three young boys whose goal that day was to simply go for a hike.
Sam Fisher, 45, took his sons Jessin, 12; Liam, 9; and their 11-year-old cousin, Kaiden Madsen, on a hike in the North Dakota Badlands in July 2022, according to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. While hiking, the trio of "young fossil hunters" discovered the rare T. rex fossil, the museum said in a news release.
Once the remains were found, Sam Fisher called Tyler Lyson, his former high school classmate and the museum's curator of paleontology. Lyson returned to the site with the boys and his team of paleontologists in summer 2023 to excavate the fossil, according to the museum. It took a year to retrieve the fossil because Lyson had to get an excavation permit from the land's manager.
"By going outside and embracing their passions and the thrill of discovery, these boys have made an incredible dinosaur discovery that advances science and deepens our understanding of the natural world,” Lyson said in the release. "I'm excited for Museum guests to dig into the 'Teen Rex Discovery' experience."
How big was the teenage T. rex?
Lyson and his group of paleontologists were able to determine the fossil belonged to a juvenile T. rex by analyzing the bone structure, growth patterns and bone histology, among other techniques, to come up with the age of the dinosaur at the time of its death, the museum announced.
"While histology has not yet been done, but will be, we estimated the size of teenage T. Rex based on the length of the specimen’s tibia (shin bone)," the museum said on a Q&A page about an upcoming documentary for the discovery. "The tibia from our specimen measures 82 cm, compared to that of a full-grown T. rex with a 112 cm long tibia suggests that our specimen likely belongs to a teenager."
The paleontologists believe the "Teen Rex" weighed 3,500 pounds, stood 10 feet tall and was 25 feet long at the time of its death, according to a museum Q&A page. The exact weight of the fossil will be determined through ongoing research and analysis.
In comparison, a fully grown adult T. rex could reach lengths of up to 40 feet or more and weigh up to 8,000 pounds, the page said.
What can the teenage T. rex fossil teach paleontologists?
The teenage T. rex fossil is rare because usually, the T. rex fossils that are found are from older and larger animals, according to the museum. The teenage skeleton will allow researchers to study the growth and development of the T. rex species during a "crucial phase" of its life, the Q&A page said.
"The story of Teen Rex and the three kids, Jessin, Liam and Kaiden, underscores the power of curiosity, determination, and the pursuit of knowledge. It serves as a reminder that anyone, regardless of age, can make a significant impact by following their passions and embracing the excitement of discovery," according to the museum.
Excavation of the teenage T. rex filmed, will premiere at museum
The discovery of the fossil was videotaped and cut into a new 40-minute documentary titled "T.REX," the museum said. The film will be showing on June 21 on the museum's giant screen Infinity Theater.
"With state-of-the-art CGI and cutting-edge paleontological insights, this giant screen movie offers an unprecedented journey into the world of T. rex and its fellow Cretaceous carnivores," according to the release.
A temporary display for the juvenile T. rex fossil called "Discovering Teen Rex" will also be open to the public on June 21, but at 1:30 p.m., the museum said.
veryGood! (69)
Related
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Stock market today: Asian shares mixed as Japan business confidence rises and US shutdown is averted
- How to make a Contact Poster in iOS 17: Enable the new feature with these simple steps.
- India’s devastating monsoon season is a sign of things to come, as climate and poor planning combine
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- It's one of the world's toughest anti-smoking laws. The Māori see a major flaw
- Nebraska is imposing a 7-day wait for trans youth to start gender-affirming medications
- 2023 MLB playoffs schedule: Postseason bracket, game times for wild-card series
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Roof of a church collapses during a Mass in northern Mexico, trapping about 30 people in the rubble
Ranking
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are suddenly everywhere. Why we're invested — and is that OK?
- Connecticut enacts its most sweeping gun control law since the Sandy Hook shooting
- Europe’s anti-corruption group says Cyprus must hold politicians more accountable amid distrust
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Calgary Flames executive Chris Snow dies at 42 after defying ALS odds for years
- Lawrence, Ridley and defense help Jaguars beat Falcons 23-7 in London
- Rep. Jamaal Bowman pulls fire alarm ahead of House vote to fund government
Recommendation
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Ryan Blaney edges Kevin Harvick at Talladega, advances to third round of NASCAR playoffs
A fight over precious groundwater in a rural California town is rooted in carrots
Arizona’s biggest city has driest monsoon season since weather service began record-keeping in 1895
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
'Poor Things': Emma Stone's wild Frankenstein movie doesn't 'shy away' from explicit sex
College football Week 5 highlights: Deion, Colorado fall to USC and rest of Top 25 action
Man convicted of killing ex-girlfriend, well-known sex therapist in 2020