Scientists find 1st adult T. rex trackway in Hell Creek
Big news for dino fans: scientists just found the first-ever trackway of an adult T. rex in North Dakota's Hell Creek Formation.
The 23-foot-long trail, discovered by teams from Denver Museum of Nature and Science and Liverpool John Moores University, includes four three-toed footprints, two left, two right, dating back 66.5 million years.
Unlike earlier finds that were just single prints or belonged to younger dinosaurs, this one gives us a rare look at how a full-grown T. rex moved.
Footprints suggest 3.5 to 7.25km/h
Each footprint is about three feet long with a stride of 13 feet, showing the T. rex walked at around 3.5-7.25km/h, pretty much like someone power walking!
Researchers used 3D scans to make replicas and learn more about its movement patterns; as Tyler Lyson of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science put it, "With a trackway, we can actually follow an animal as it moved across the landscape."
The discovery was kicked off by museum volunteer Kent Hups, and three prints will soon be flown to Denver for more study.
Findings were published in scientific journal.