Family discovers rare 'Teen Rex' fossil in North Dakota

A family hiking for fossils in North Dakota had an incredible surprise when they discovered a rare T. Rex fossil nicknamed “Teen Rex.” Two young brothers, Jessin, 12, and Liam Fisher, nine, their father, Sam Fisher, 45, and their cousin, Kaiden Madsen, 11, were walking around looking for fossils when they made their incredible discovery – one of only a handful of juvenile T. rex skeletons have ever been discovered. The trio of young fossil hunters discovered the T. rex fossil in the North Dakota badlands in 2022 and contacted Denver Museum of Nature & Science curator of paleontology Tyler Lyson, who grew up in the same area and went to high school with their father. . The paleontology team of Dr. Lyson and Natalie Toth excavate the fossil. The excavation process, which lasted 11 days, required the careful removal of overlying rock using a 70-pound jackhammer, picks and shovels. Specialized tools and techniques were used to delicately dig around the bones, which were embedded in sedimentary sandstone deposited by a flooding river more than 66 million years ago. Once the fossil was fully exposed, it was wrapped in a plaster and burlap casing, reinforced with two-by-fours of wood. The fossil was then transported in a helicopter net by a Black Hawk helicopter to a trailer before being taken to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The public can now see the fossil being prepared in real time at the Colorado Museum.