New dinosaur species, a T. rex cousin that "would have chased us," identified from fossil found 100 years ago - CBS News
Researchers have identified a new dinosaur species, Invictibellatrix amberina, from a fossil that sat in a London museum for a century. This megaraptoran predator was a cousin of the T. rex that hunted using large claws rather than its mouth.
Why it matters
This discovery highlights how museum archives contain significant, overlooked scientific data that can reshape our understanding of prehistoric life.
London — A previously unknown species of dinosaur — a "long-clawed predator the size of a tiger" and a cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex — has been identified from a fossil originally found 100 years ago, but which remained hidden away in a British museum until recently.The species has been named Invictibellatrix amberina, and it belongs to a group of two-legged carnivores known as megaraptorans according to an article published in the Royal Society Open Science research journal. Megaraptorans were closely related to the group of dinosaurs T. rex originated from, the tyrannosaurs. Unlike T. rex, however, scientists say Invictibellatrix did not attack prey with its mouth, but with its long arms and giant curved claws.Researchers believe the dinosaur would have been between 10 and 13 feet long and almost 5 feet tall.
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