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Oldest T. rex relative identified | Oldest T. rex relative identified |
(39 minutes later) | |
Scientists have identified the most ancient fossil relative of the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex. | |
The new addition to T. rex's clan is known from a 30cm-long skull uncovered during excavations in Gloucestershire in the 1900s. | |
The well-preserved fossil is held in London's Natural History Museum. | The well-preserved fossil is held in London's Natural History Museum. |
A British-German team has now uncovered evidence linking it to what may be the most famous dinosaur family of all. | A British-German team has now uncovered evidence linking it to what may be the most famous dinosaur family of all. |
The dinosaur, named Proceratosaurus, lived about 165m years ago, during the middle Jurassic Period. | |
It is really surprising that it has received so little attention Dr Oliver Rauhut, palaeontologist | It is really surprising that it has received so little attention Dr Oliver Rauhut, palaeontologist |
The two-legged meat-eater would have measured about 3m long and weighed up to 60kg. | The two-legged meat-eater would have measured about 3m long and weighed up to 60kg. |
The palaeontologists used computed tomography (CT) techniques to generate a 3D image of the delicate skull to investigate its internal structure in meticulous detail. | The palaeontologists used computed tomography (CT) techniques to generate a 3D image of the delicate skull to investigate its internal structure in meticulous detail. |
Dr Angela Milner, associate keeper of palaeontology at the Natural History Museum, told BBC News: "This is a unique specimen. It is the only one of its kind known in the world." | Dr Angela Milner, associate keeper of palaeontology at the Natural History Museum, told BBC News: "This is a unique specimen. It is the only one of its kind known in the world." |
She added: "It was quite a surprise when our analysis showed we had the oldest known relative of T. rex. | She added: "It was quite a surprise when our analysis showed we had the oldest known relative of T. rex. |
"Fossils collected a century ago can now be studied again with the benefit of much greater knowledge of dinosaurs from around the world." | "Fossils collected a century ago can now be studied again with the benefit of much greater knowledge of dinosaurs from around the world." |
Originally described in 1910 as a new species of Megalosaurus, the fossil was presented to the museum in 1942. | |
The skull had been unearthed during excavations for a reservoir close to Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire. | The skull had been unearthed during excavations for a reservoir close to Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire. |
T. rex lived during the Cretaceous Period | |
Dr Milner said that despite obvious differences between the skulls of Proceratosaurus and T. rex - such as their divergent sizes - the two shared many similarities. | |
"If you look at the animal (Proceratosaurus) in detail, it has the same kinds of windows in the side of the skull for increasing the jaw muscles," she told BBC News. | |
"It has the same kinds of teeth - particularly at the front of the jaws. They're small teeth and almost banana-shaped, which are just the kind of teeth T. rex has." | |
"Inside the skull, which we were able to look at using CT scanning, there are lots of internal air spaces. Tyrannosaurus had those as well." | |
Although the skull has attracted much interest because of its exquisite preservation, it has not been closely studied until now, thus, its link to the tyrannosaurs remained undiscovered. | Although the skull has attracted much interest because of its exquisite preservation, it has not been closely studied until now, thus, its link to the tyrannosaurs remained undiscovered. |
"This is still one of the best-preserved dinosaur skulls found in Europe," said co-author Dr Oliver Rauhut from the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology in Munich. | "This is still one of the best-preserved dinosaur skulls found in Europe," said co-author Dr Oliver Rauhut from the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology in Munich. |
"It is really surprising that it has received so little attention since its original description." | "It is really surprising that it has received so little attention since its original description." |