Science
First adult Tyrannosaurus rex trackway identified in North Dakota badlands
Researchers identified four connected fossilized footprints dating back 66.5 million years, according to CBS News.
The short version
- Paleontologists identified the first known trackway made by an adult Tyrannosaurus rex in southwestern North Dakota.[CBS News]
- The 23-foot sequence includes four three-toed prints found by volunteer Kent Hups in 2025.[CBS News]
- Scientists estimated the seven-ton dinosaur was walking between 3.5 and 4.5 mph when the impressions formed.[CBS News]
Key facts
- Paleontologists identified four connected prints in southwestern North Dakota as the first known adult Tyrannosaurus rex trackway.[CBS News]
- Prior to this discovery, only two isolated adult T. rex footprints had been confirmed globally.[CBS News]
- The trackway measures roughly 23 feet long, with each of the four individual three-toed impressions spanning about 3 feet.[CBS News]
- Print spacing led researchers to estimate the dinosaur weighed over seven tons and walked at roughly 3.5 to 4.5 mph.[CBS News]
- The tracks date to approximately 66.5 million years ago, near the conclusion of the Cretaceous period.[CBS News]
What remains uncertain
- The trackway attribution relies on size, shape, and surrounding fossil context rather than a skeleton preserved directly with the prints.[CBS News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.