Tyrannosaurus rex found in Canada is world’s biggest

Published March 24, 2019
The skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus rex.—AFP
The skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus rex.—AFP

MONTREAL: The towering Tyran­nosaurus rex discovered in western Canada in 1991 is the world’s biggest, a team of paleontologists said on Friday, following a decades-long process of reconstructing its skeleton.

Nicknamed Scotty for a celebratory bottle of scotch consumed the night it was discovered, the T. rex was 13 metres (yards) long and probably weighed more than 8,800 kilos (19,400 pounds), making it bigger than all other carnivorous dinosaurs, the team from the University of Alberta said.

“This is the rex of rexes,” said Scott Persons, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences.

“There is considerable size variability among Tyrannosaurus. Some individuals were lankier than others and some were more robust. Scotty exemplifies the robust,” Persons said.

While the giant carnivore’s skeleton was discovered in 1991, paleontologists spent more than a decade just removing the hard sandstone that covered its bones.

Only now have they been able to study it and realize its uniqueness, which is not limited to its size.

“Scotty is the oldest T. rex known,” having lived into its 30s, Persons said.

“By Tyrannosaurus standards, it had an unusually long life. And it was a violent one,” Persons said. “Riddled across the skeleton are pathologies — spots where scarred bone records large injuries.” An exhibit featuring the dinosaur’s bones is to open in May at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.