Miniature relative of T. rex identified by paleontologists in New Mexico

Paleontologists have discovered a new relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, the infamous dinosaur predator. Unlike its distant cousin, the new species, Suskityrannus hazelae, stood just three feet tall and stretched nine feet from head to tip of the tail.

The dinosaur remains were originally found by 16-year-old Sterling Nesbit during a dig in New Mexico in 1998. Twenty years later, Nesbit, now an assistant professor in the geosciences department at Virginia Tech, is the lead author on a paper -- published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution -- describing the fossil's identity.

Like its larger relative, the diminutive tyrannosauroid subsisted on meat, hunting and eating mostly small animals. Unlike T. rex, which weighed several tons, S. hazelae tipped the scales at between 45 and 90 pounds. Though less powerful, the small predator would have been rather quick.

During the newly identified species' heyday, some 92 million years ago, the planet was home to some of the largest dinosaur species in history.

"Suskityrannus gives us a glimpse into the evolution of tyrannosaurs just before they take over the planet," Nesbitt said in a news release. "It also belongs to a dinosaurian fauna that just proceeds the iconic dinosaurian faunas in the latest Cretaceous that include some of the most famous dinosaurs, such as the Triceratops, predators like Tyrannosaurus rex, and duckbill dinosaurs like Edmotosaurus."

Analysis of the newly identified fossil helped paleontologists link several smaller, earlier tyrannosauroid species from North America and China with larger species that persisted through the end of the Age of the Dinosaurs.

The bones discovered by Nesbit comprised one of two incomplete fossils -- remains researchers struggled to identify.

"Essentially, we didn't know we had a cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex for many years," Nesbitt said.

But over the last two decades, paleontologists have identified a number of other T. rex relatives, shedding new light on the tyrannosaurid family tree, which helped Nesbitt and his colleagues name the miniature predator.

Related Links
Explore The Early Earth at TerraDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Fluctuating oxygen caused evolutionary surges during Cambrian period
Washington (UPI) May 6, 2019
During the Cambrian explosion, thousands of new species appeared during a relatively short amount of time. The earliest forms of many modern species first emerged during the Cambrian explosion. But according to a new study, the evolutionary gas pedal wasn't on the floor during the entirety of the period. There were periods of accelerated speciation, as well as brief slowdowns. Authors of the new study determined the period's ebb and flow was caused by fluctuating oxygen levels. "The comp ... read more