The discovery of a Tyrannosaurus Rex nicknamed Scotty in 1991 marked a crucial milestone in the revision of fundamental concepts. Recently, they published a study exploring the possibility that these dinosaurs were considerably larger than currently believed. They estimate that they could be up to 70% larger.
Discovery of the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex: “Scotty”
In August 1991, a group of paleontologists unearthed skeletal remains of a possible late Cretaceous dinosaur in Saskatchewan, Canada. They nicknamed the discovery “Scotty” and celebrated it with Scotch whiskey. It marked the beginning of his fame, as the largest T. Rex found so far, both inside and outside Canada. Just in 2019, they were able to confirm this data; The remains belonged to the largest Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered. The delay was due to a long process of extracting and analyzing bones trapped in hard sandstone.
The effort of paleontologists, led by Scott Person of the University of Alberta, resulted in the identification of the “rex of rexes,” as they humorously called it, and represented a milestone in paleontology.
Surprising discovery about the size of Tyrannosaurus rex
Recently, a team of paleontologists from the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa reveals new data on the weight of the fearsome T. rex. Presented at the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology’s annual conference in Toronto, their study estimates that the largest T. rex may have weighed up to 15,000 kilograms and been larger than a double-decker bus. This significantly exceeds previous estimates by 70%. This discovery challenges previous perceptions of the size of this legendary dinosaur.
The new study led by Jordan Mallon and David Hone suggests that the largest T. rex known to date, Scotty, could be surpassed by another individual of the same species by 70% in body mass. The researchers reached this conclusion after analyzing fossil records and considering factors such as sexual dimorphism and variations in body size.
Research that could completely change knowledge about dinosaurs
The study not only examined absolute size, but also considered sexual dimorphism and variations in body size within the species. These additional considerations led researchers to the surprising conclusion about the existence of a T. rex even larger than Scotty.
Based on fossil records, scientists estimate that approximately 2.5 billion Tyrannosaurus Rex roamed the Earth over 127,000 generations. However, they were only able to find a few adult fossils, around 32, which represents only one in every 80 million specimens of this species.
This scarcity of fossils limits knowledge of these creatures. Mallon and Hone developed a model of T. rex based on population data and average lifespan. This model seeks to maximize understanding of the size and behavior of this large dinosaur.
However, paleontologists warn that the knowledge acquired about T. Rex is minimal, and these latest data will only be estimates until they discover fossil remains that confirm them.
