A group of researchers is proposing that Tyrannosaurus, the most famous of all dinosaurs and the ultimate apex predator, actually includes three species and not just the single T. rex, based on thighbone and tooth variations among dozens of its fossils.
Highlights
- Researchers propose that Tyrannosaurus, the most famous of all dinosaurs, actually includes three species.
- T. rex, meaning “tyrant lizard king,” has been the sole species of the genus Tyrannosaurus recognized since the dinosaur was first described in 1905.
- A team of three researchers led by Baltimore-based independent paleontologist and paleoartist Gregory Paul on Monday said variations they spotted in an examination of about three dozen Tyrannosaurus fossils warranted the recognition of two additional species.
- The scale of the differences among the three proposed Tyrannosaurus species is akin to the differences between a lion - scientific name Panthera leo - and a tiger, scientific name Panthersa tigris.