Dinosaur skull found in B.C. belonged to T. rex 'great-uncle'
Researchers have identified a dinosaur skull impression found in a British Columbia campground as belonging to a Gorgosaurus, a relative of the T. rex. The discovery, made by a hiker in 2017, provides new paleontological insights into the species that inhabited Western Canada 76 million years ago.
Why it matters
This find is significant for Canadian paleontology as it represents the first tyrannosaur skull impression discovered in British Columbia.
The remains of a dinosaur skull found in British Columbia campground belonged to a tyrannosaur that was lighter and faster than its more famous relative, the T. rex, say the authors of a new study.
University of Alberta researchers studied the cast of a partial skull impression that was left about 76 million years ago and discovered it belonged to a horned dinosaur known as Gorgosaurus.
Their findings, published in the journal Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology last month, give new insight into a species that once roamed what is now Western Canada, said lead author Colton Coppock.
“We were able to identify (Gorgosaurus) based on a unique set of characteristics on this impression,” Coppock said.
The Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta says the species could reach nine metres in length.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in