‘The missing link’: New early tyrannosaur species discovered by Calgary researchers

Scientists from the University of Calgary have made a groundbreaking discovery of a new dinosaur specimen that they believe could be the “missing link” in the evolution of tyrannosaurs. The specimen, known as Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, was originally found in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert over 50 years ago in the 1970s. However, its significance was only recently recognized when graduate student Jared Voris was sent on a research trip to Mongolia by associate professor Darla Zelenitsky from the university’s faculty of science.

Voris, upon examining the fossil, believed it to be a new species, which was later confirmed by Zelenitsky. The species is thought to have crossed from Siberia to Alaska around 85 million years ago. Zelenitsky explained that Khankhuuluu mongoliensis appears to bridge the gap between smaller tyrannosauroids and the larger predatory tyrannosaurs. This missing link weighed around 750 kilograms, making it larger than its ancestors but smaller than the massive tyrannosaurs that came later.

The findings of this discovery were published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature. Zelenitsky expressed her excitement at being involved in a discovery that had been overlooked for decades. She praised Voris for his keen eye in identifying the significance of the specimen, which has led to a reevaluation of the family tree of tyrannosaurs.

The migration of Khankhuuluu mongoliensis or a similar species from Asia to North America may have been driven by the pursuit of prey in new territories. Zelenitsky suggested that the lack of competing tyrannosaur predators in North America allowed these creatures to thrive and evolve into the apex predators of their time. The rapid evolution of tyrannosaurs, leading to their dominance in North America and Asia during the late Cretaceous period, occurred over a few million years.

Zelenitsky, a prolific researcher with over 50 publications to her name, has been at the forefront of paleontological discoveries. She was part of the team that first uncovered evidence of feathered dinosaurs in North America. The discovery of Khankhuuluu mongoliensis has not only shed light on the evolutionary history of tyrannosaurs but has also highlighted the importance of reevaluating long-held assumptions in paleontology.