Archaeologists in North Dakota have discovered the first set of fossilized footprints belonging to a running Tyrannosaurus Rex. The find, described as "incredibly rare," offers a unique glimpse into the behavior of the ancient predator.
The four three-toed footprints, spanning 23 feet, were found in the Hell’s Creek Formation in the state's Badlands. The T-Rex that made the tracks lived approximately 66 million years ago.
"Bones tell us an enormous amount about these animals, but footprints capture a moment of behavior," said Tyler Lyson, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. "With a trackway, we can actually follow an animal as it moved across the landscape. That is incredibly rare for T-Rex."
The individual steps in the trackway measure about 3.3 feet. While single T-Rex footprints from both adult and juvenile dinosaurs have been found previously, this discovery marks the first time continuous tracks have been identified.
The fossils were initially found by Colorado schoolteacher Kent Hups, who co-authored a paper advising students that "science starts with curiosity, passion and careful observation." Hups stated, "I never imagined that could lead me to a discovery like this."
Scientists also found T-Rex skeletal remains in the vicinity. The footprints are slated to be transported to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science via helicopter.