3 little fossil hunters discover a rare 67 million year old adolescent T. rex

In an unexpected discovery, the fossils of a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex) were discovered by three school children.

On July 31, 2022, three young fossil hunters – brothers Liam and Jessin Fisher, and their cousin Kaiden Madsen – made this extraordinary discovery during an informal walk. The trio spotted the fossils embedded in the Hell Creek rock formation in North Dakota.

Soon, they sent a photo to family friend and paleontologist Dr. Tyler Lyson to identify the skeletal remains. To their amazement, Lyson realized that they had spotted a very rare juvenile T. rex.

This incredible discovery could change our understanding of one of the most fearsome predators to ever exist on Earth.

Liam, Jessin and Kaiden were 7, 10 and 9 years old respectively in 2022 when they came across this enormous fossilized leg bone.

Named Teen Rex, this young dinosaur had been buried for around 67 million years.

Interestingly, the excavation process will now be presented as a documentary, bringing Teen Rex to life through 3D animation. The documentary is narrated by Sir Sam Neill, who played Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park films.

The excavation required significant effort and it took more than 11 days to carefully recover the fossil remains. It was led by Lyson, associate curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the boys joined the dig team.

After recovery, the fossil was wrapped in giant plaster sheaths to protect the fossilized bones from breaking. The 5,000-pound block of fossils was transported by Black Hawk helicopter to the Denver museum.

Initially, these were thought to be the remains of a common duck-billed dinosaur. However, a close examination in a high-tech laboratory has revealed a “very rare juvenile specimen” of the fearsome T.rex.

“This discovery is particularly exciting because the majority of Tyrannosaurus rex discoveries involved adults. Having fossils of a younger animal to study will shed light on certain aspects of dinosaur life, such as growth patterns,” Lyson explained.

“Moreover, by embracing their passions and the thrill of discovery, three young scientists have made an incredible dinosaur discovery that advances science, deepens our understanding of the natural world, and inspires other explorers and future scientists,” a- he added. Interestingly, Lyson discovered his first dinosaur fossil in the same area at age six.

Rare specimen could shed light on T.rex's growing years

This unique specimen includes a 32.3-inch (82-centimeter) long tibia or tibia. The size of the bones shows that Teen Rex was between 13 and 15 years old at the time of his death, approximately 67 million years ago.

The juvenile T. rex probably weighed around 3,500 pounds (1,632 kg). It measured about 25 feet long from its nose to the tip of its tail and stood about 10 feet tall. This suggests that the juvenile was about two-thirds the size of a full-grown adult T. rex.

“It is remarkable to consider how T. rex was able to grow from a kitten-sized newborn to the 40-foot, 8,000-pound adult predator that we know it to be,” said paleontologist Dr. Thomas Holtz. University of Maryland vertebrate and renowned T. rex authority in the press release.

He added: “Scientists can really only speculate about how the 'Teen rex' might have lived and behaved, so findings like this have the potential to provide important new information about these early stages of life, when the most rapid growth probably took place.

The fossilized bone will be on display at the Denver Museum's “Teen Rex Prep Lab” in the coming weeks, and the film will premiere in Denver on June 21.

A closer look at the skeleton could reveal secrets about how the king of the dinosaurs became so huge.