Dr. Sterling Nesbitt and the partial skeleton of Suskityrannus hazelae,
which he found at age 16 in 1998
The fossil remains of Suskityrannus compared to a lower jaw from
a Tyrannosaurus rex
Posted on 05/08/2019 4:49:26 PM PDT by ETL
The newly named tyrannosauroid dinosaur, Suskityrannus hazelae, stood around 3 feet tall at the hip and was about 9 feet long, according to Virginia Tech.
“My discovery of a partial skeleton of Suskityrannus put me onto a scientific journey that has framed my career,” said Nesbitt, the lead author of the study in the journal “Nature Ecology and Evolution.”
But for about two decades, scientists weren’t certain what it was, until other small cousins of T. rex were discovered.
“The small group of tyrannosauroid dinosaurs would give rise to some of the biggest predators that we’ve ever seen,” Nesbitt said.
While the typical weight for a full-grown T. rex was roughly 9 tons, the Suskityrannus hazelae is believed to have weighed between 45 and 90 pounds, according to the university.
“Suskityrannus has a much more slender skull and foot than its later and larger cousins, the Tyrannosaurus rex,” Nesbitt told the university.
“The find also links the older and smaller tyrannosauroids from North America and China with the much larger tyrannosaurids that lasted until the final extinction of non-avian dinosaurs.” ..."
Suskityrannus hazelae dates back 92 million years, which is about 20 million years before the T. rex roamed Earth.
The fossil also dates back to the Cretaceous Period, when some of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered lived, the university said.
“Suskityrannus gives us a glimpse into the evolution of tyrannosaurs just before they take over the planet,” Nesbitt said.
“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.”
(Excerpt) Read more at fox5dc.com ...
The fossil remains of Suskityrannus compared to a lower jaw from
a Tyrannosaurus rex
FINALLY, a T.Rex pet for apartment dwellers!
ha!
90 lbs vs 9 tons
That would certainly be easier and cheaper to keep as a pet! :)
Tyrannosaurus rex roamed North America around 66 million years ago. But a small tyrannosaur from the same family lived in the Liaoning forest.
This small cousin of T. rex, Dilong paradoxus, was also a fierce predator. Certain features of Dilong resemble those of T. rex.
Both have large jaws with small, tightly packed front teeth. But this tyrannosaur has some surprising features—most notably, a thin coat of featherlike fibers.
A team of paleontologists led by Xu Xing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied the fibers and thinks these “protofeathers” may have helped keep Dilong warm.
Species: Dilong paradoxus
“dee-LONG pair-uh-DOX-us”
Feathered tyrannosaur with short, thin featherlike fibers on body. Relatively long arms with three-fingered hands
A relative of T. rex sporting feathers might seem surprising, but scientists actually expected to find a feathered tyrannosaur one day.
Tyrannosaurs are classified as advanced theropods (theropods are two-legged, meat-eating dinosaurs).
Scientists have found simple feathers on a wide range of advanced theropods, suggesting that feathers were present throughout the entire group.
Did T. Rex Have Feathers?
A feathered T. rex? Probably so—at least when the animals were young.
Paleontologists think feathers may have first evolved to keep dinosaurs warm.
But while a young T. rex probably had a thin coat of downy feathers, an adult T. rex would not have needed feathers to stay warm.
Large warm-blooded animals—like T. rex or modern elephants—generate a great deal of body heat so they usually don’t need hair or feathers to keep warm.
This is probably why elephants, which are mammals, don’t have much hair.
Feathers or “Fuzz”?
The flying reptiles known as pterosaurs are only distantly related to dinosaurs.
Pterosaurs did not have feathers but some were covered in thin fibers sometimes described as “fuzz.”
The first stages in the evolution of feathers could have taken place in a species that was the ancestor of pterosaurs and dinosaurs.
________________________________________________________________
Related...
I believe these are other dinosaur species, not the feathered T-rex referred to above.
A 99-million-year-old piece of amber with a feathered dinosaur tail trapped inside.CreditCreditRyan
McKellar/Royal Saskatchewan Museum (source: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/science/dinosaur-feathers-amber.html)
You wanna bet it tasted just like chicken?
t-rex?
A supposed cousin of T-rex.
LOL. That claw is a nice touch.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
