Dinosaurs are cool. Dinosaur fossils are cooler. And pathologists from Seattle’s Burke Museum have unearthed the bones of a Tyrannosaurus rex that lived more than 66 million years ago, and has a rare, complete four-foot skull.
The fossils contained the dinosaur’s vertebrae, hips, jaw bone, ribs, and is about 20% of the whole reptile. Only 14 other complete T-Rex skulls have been found in history, making this one a rarity. It was found in the Hell Creek Formation in Montana, which is fitting.
“We think the Tufts-Love Rex is going to be an iconic specimen for the Burke Museum and the state of Washington and will be a must-see for dinosaur researchers as well,” Gregory Wilson, a University of Washington biology professor and adjunct curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Burke Museum, said in a statement.
Scientists believe this T-Rex is 85% the size of the largest one ever unearthed, and based on the size of the skull, lived for about 15 years.
Now while you can’t see the actual skull — because scientists are attempting to painstakingly remove it from the rock they found it in without damaging it — you can see the plaster coated version at the museum for the next few weeks.
Jurassic Park made real, and terrifyingly cool.
[CBS News]
