Farmer finds the latest dinosaur
According to CNN, John De Groot, a farmer, and a paleontologist, discovered the latest species of dinosaurs. They made this discovery upon uncovering fossil fragments of a skull of an earlier anonymous species of tyrannosaur during his hike. This skull was discovered in southern Alberta, Canada. They will exhibit the fossils later this year at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta. The finding is considered historic as it’s the latest in the past 50 years. Finding the new species was a delight to John and his wife.
“John always said that one day he would find a dinosaur skull,” adds his wife, Sandra. “Finding the jaw was exciting. Hearing that it is a new species, and seeing it given our family name, was beyond belief.”
What are tyrannosaurs?
Tyrannosaurs, the farmer found, are a group of large dinosaur predators. They were prominent for their man-eating habits hence named man-eaters. However, previously T-Rex is known to be one of the largest tyrannosaurs. It possessed 1.2m jaw and thick massive skull for bone-crushing. It also had robust long thighs and a 1.5-meter skull to pierce into prey. T-Rex had a potent tail to facilitate its quick motion during its hunting expeditions. There were also the serrated conical teeth for piercing and griping of flesh.
Comparison between Thanatotheristes and tyrannosaur rex
Thanatotheristes degrootorum is believed to be one of the oldest tyrannosaur species. Discovered in North America. They estimate it that the creature has lived in Canada for up to 50 years. Statistics show that the creature lived 2.5 million decades before its immediate kin. To mean it might have been the big cheese before Tyrannosaurus rex 79.5 million years ago. They assess its length to range between 26 to 30 feet with a weight equivalent to over two tons of grown man. Tyrannosaurus rex amounted to a length of about 40 feet. The name Thanatotheristes degrootorum sprung from Thanatos, which means the Greek god of death and theorists signifying one who reaps or harvests.
Compared to other dinosaurs, Thanatotheristes are distinct following its possession of unique features. Because of its perfect features, the scientists concluded it was a rather undiscovered species. Its skull has a variety of characteristics. However, the most distinctive one is the unique vertical ridges on the length of its upper jaw. This current species unearthed after the species of Daspletosaurus, which was discovered in 1970.
Reactions to the discovery
Upon discovering this new species, many are late, especially the paleontologist enthusiasts. This finding is regarded as remarkable, mainly as it has led to the reveal of new species existence, something that many had not expected. It has marked a historic moment in Canada as it follows the survival of previously named species of Daspletosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Albertosaurus, and Albertosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. This discovery is of high significance as it contributes to us comprehending the evolution of dinosaurs. As a result, such revelations are greatly valued and appreciated.
