Farmer discovers new Tyrannosaur species, one of the oldest in North America

In a recent archaeological discovery, pieces of a fossilized skull belonging to an unknown species of a tyrannosaur was found in the southern part of Alberta, Canada. The fossilized remains were discovered by John De Groot. According to reports, it was the first new tyrannosaur species discovered in Canada in five decades and one of the oldest found in North America. According to reports, Groot found the fossilized remains while hiking in Alberta. The man further added that finding the jawbone with fossilized teeth was an excellent find.

Thanatotheristes Degrootorum

Scientists are of the opinion that the previously unknown species, Thanatotheristes degrootorum used to traverse lands approximately 2.5 million years before its relative, Tyrannosaurus rex. According to reports, the newfound species used to traverse across North America 75 million years ago and had a height of about 26-30 feet and weighed more than two tonnes.

The uniqueness of the fossil enabled the scientists to reach a conclusion that it belonged to a new and unknown species. The findings were published in the journal Cretaceous Research. One of the people working on the study, Jared Voris said that the Thanatotheristes can be differentiated from other species by various characteristics surrounding the skull, adding that the difference which stands out the most are the vertical ridges running the entire length of the upper jaw of the fossil.

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Daspletosaurus found in Canada in 1970

According to a study published in the journal, the last tyrannosaurus fossil in Canada was found in the year 1970 i.e. Daspletosaurus. The archaeological find enabled the researchers to determine the fact that different groups of tyrannosaurus existed across North America, during separate times in the late Cretaceous period between 74-80 million years ago.

The Thanatotheristes belonged to the Daspletosaurini group and traversed between the southern part of Alberta and Montana. A few other species were discovered in the central part of Alberta and southern parts of the United States. Other dinosaur species found in Alberta included dome-headed dinosaur Colepiocephale and Xenoceratops.

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