North Carolina Researchers Confirm New Dinosaur Species Nanotyrannus

Researchers at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and N.C. State University have confirmed that Nanotyrannus is a distinct dinosaur species, not a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex as previously believed. The discovery was made through the study of the "Dueling Dinosaurs" fossil specimen, which includes two complete skeletons of a Triceratops and a small tyrannosaur locked in combat, originally found in Montana. Using growth rings in limb bones and anatomical differences such as skull nerve patterns and vertebrae count, scientists determined the Nanotyrannus fossil was from a fully grown, 20-year-old individual, distinct from T. rex. This finding challenges decades of T. rex research, which had mistakenly used Nanotyrannus fossils to model T. rex growth and behavior. The discovery opens new questions about how Nanotyrannus and T. rex coexisted in the same ecosystem. North Carolina's public institutions emphasize the significance of this as the biggest dinosaur discovery of the decade, highlighting their leadership in scientific research.