Three young boys, along with their sister and a team of researchers, discovered and excavated a rare, adolescent Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, nicknamed "Teen Rex," in the Hell Creek formation in North Dakota.
The fossil, including a T. rex tooth, provides new insights into the growth stages and patterns of the fearsome dinosaur.
The discovery is featured in a documentary called "T. REX" narrated by actor Sam Neill, and an upcoming film "T. rex" set to premiere on June 21, follows the unique journey of the young archaeologists.
The estimated measurements of the "Teen Rex" indicate it was around 7.6m long, 3m tall, and 1,600kg, and it was believed to be 13-15 years old at the time of its death.
Two years ago, during a hike with their father, Sam Fisher, the boys stumbled upon what they initially thought was a duck-billed dinosaur fossil, and after a year of paperwork, the family returned to the site to uncover the creature's neck, jaws, and teeth.
The excavation was documented by a film crew, and 11-year-old Kaiden revealed the significance of the find, not only discovering a T. rex hidden for 67 million years but also a unique juvenile specimen.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Live Science, Forbes, abc.net.au, thetimes.co.uk, cosmosmagazine.com, krone.at, hirado.hu.