Dinosaurs
Dinosaur skeleton settles debate over tiny T. rex fossils
A complete dinosaur skeleton has provided strong evidence that fossils long debated as juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex belong to a separate species called Nanotyrannus. Researchers analyzed a specimen from the 'Duelling Dinosaurs' site, confirming it as a fully grown individual distinct from T. rex. The findings challenge decades of palaeontological arguments.
Dinosaur fossil reveals earlier evolution of sauropod long necks
A newly discovered 230-million-year-old dinosaur fossil from Argentina suggests that the evolution of long necks in sauropods began much earlier than previously thought. Named Huayracursor jaguensis, the specimen shows early signs of neck elongation in a small, bipedal dinosaur. This finding challenges the idea of a gradual transition in sauropodomorph evolution.
New Mongolian dinosaur bridges gap to tyrannosaurs
Paleontologists have discovered Khankhuuluu, a new species of tyrannosauroid dinosaur from Mongolia that represents a key transitional form in the evolution of Tyrannosaurus rex. This medium-sized predator, weighing about 750 kilograms, lived 86 million years ago and likely migrated from Asia to North America, where larger tyrannosaurs evolved. The find, detailed in a recent Nature study, highlights the dinosaur's agile hunting style and shared traits with later giants.
Dinosaurs thrived until asteroid impact, study finds
A new study challenges the idea that dinosaurs were declining before their extinction 66 million years ago. Researchers found evidence of thriving dinosaur communities in New Mexico right up to the asteroid strike. The findings highlight distinct regional ecosystems shaped by climate.