New Tyrannosaur Ancestor Found in Mongolia

Scientists have identified Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, a new dinosaur species from two partial skeletons found in Mongolia's Gobi Desert, as the closest known ancestor to Tyrannosaurus rex. The 'Dragon Prince' lived about 86 million years ago and was a mid-sized, agile predator weighing around 1,600 pounds. Khankhuuluu had a long snout, unique cranial traits, and lacked some typical tyrannosaur features, marking it as a transitional species. This discovery disproves earlier theories that small, long-nosed tyrannosaurs like Alioramus directly gave rise to T. rex. Researchers suggest that Khankhuuluu and similar species migrated from Asia to North America, paving the way for giant tyrannosaurs. The findings, published in Nature, reshape understanding of the evolutionary path from small-bodied hunters to apex predators like T. rex.