British and American researchers have discovered a new ancestor or close relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex in North America. The unusually large and old carnivorous dinosaur roamed what is now New Mexico, USA, approximately 74 million years ago. The findings, published in the scientific journal Scientific Reports, suggest this dinosaur may be part of the direct evolutionary line leading to T-rex.
The discovery is based on a shin bone excavated in the area, with the dinosaur appearing surprisingly similar in size to its famous younger relative.