Latest news with #TyrannosaurusRex
Sustainability Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'I Seen Predatory Horse With Razor Teeth': Scientists Unveil 86-Million-Year-Old T. Rex Ancestor That Redefines Dinosaur Evolution
IN A NUTSHELL 🦖 Khankhuuluu mongoliensis is an 86-million-year-old dinosaur species discovered in Mongolia, providing new insights into tyrannosaur evolution. is an 86-million-year-old dinosaur species discovered in Mongolia, providing new insights into tyrannosaur evolution. 📜 The fossils fill a crucial gap in the evolutionary timeline, linking smaller ancestors to the giant Tyrannosaurus rex . . 🐎 This medium-sized predator, roughly the size of a horse, relied on speed and agility rather than bone-crunching power. 🔍 The study, led by researchers at the University of Calgary, highlights the dynamic evolution of tyrannosaurs over millions of years. In a remarkable discovery, paleontologists have unearthed a new piece in the evolutionary puzzle of the Tyrannosaurus rex. A recent study has brought to light a medium-sized predator that roamed the Earth 86 million years ago, offering fresh insights into the lineage of these iconic dinosaurs. This creature, identified from fossils found in Mongolia, fills a crucial gap in our understanding of how the mighty T. rex evolved from its smaller ancestors. The species, named Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, or 'the dragon prince,' provides a fascinating glimpse into the past, allowing us to trace the fascinating journey from small predators to the apex predators we know today. The Discovery of Khankhuuluu Mongoliensis The discovery of Khankhuuluu mongoliensis marks a significant milestone in paleontological research. Originally unearthed in the 1970s in the Bayanshiree Formation of southeastern Mongolia, these fossils were initially misclassified. It wasn't until researchers Jared Voris and Dr. Darla Zelenitsky from the University of Calgary revisited the site in 2023 that the true nature of these fossils was uncovered. The team noted the distinctive features of the remains, particularly the hollow snout bone, which pointed clearly to an early member of the tyrannosaur family. This species, roughly the size of a horse, weighed around 1,653 pounds and measured 13 feet in length. Its discovery provides a new understanding of the evolutionary sequence leading to the Tyrant Lizard King, the T. rex. The name Khankhuuluu, translating to 'the dragon prince,' is a nod to its role as a precursor to one of the most iconic predators in history. This Prehistoric Armored Fish From 465 Million Years Ago Could Be the Key to Understanding Why Our Teeth Still Hurt The Missing Evolutionary Gap For years, the evolutionary path of tyrannosaurs from small creatures to the colossal T. rex remained a mystery, with significant gaps in the fossil record. These dinosaurs began their journey around 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period as modest-sized tyrannosaurids. It was only in the late Cretaceous period that they grew into the giants we are familiar with today. The newly identified fossils of Khankhuuluu mongoliensis are crucial in filling this gap. They offer a rare glimpse into a transitional phase, illustrating how these dinosaurs evolved from smaller predators to become the dominant force in their ecosystems. The discovery of these fossils not only enhances our understanding of tyrannosaur evolution but also highlights the dynamic changes that occurred during their ascent to dominance. '8,000 Dinosaur Bones Found': Canada's Fossil Graveyard Reveals One of the Most Terrifying Prehistoric Mass Death Sites Ever Unearthed Physical Characteristics and Lifestyle Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, with its lean build and significant size, was an adept hunter. Unlike its massive descendants, this species had a long, shallow skull, indicating it lacked the ability to crunch bones like the T. rex. Instead, it relied on speed and agility, similar to modern-day mesopredators like coyotes, to hunt and capture prey. The presence of tiny, rudimentary horns on its head suggests that these features might have played a role in mating rituals or intimidation displays. Over time, these features evolved into the more prominent horns seen in later tyrannosaurs such as Albertosaurus. The creature's unique combination of features underscores the diversity and adaptability of the tyrannosaur lineage, providing a deeper understanding of the evolutionary pressures that shaped these formidable predators. 'This Thing Shouldn't Exist': Scientists Stunned as Humanity Witnesses This Deep-Sea Monster Alive for the First Time Ever Implications for Tyrannosaur Research The discovery of Khankhuuluu mongoliensis has profound implications for the study of tyrannosaurs. By bridging a critical gap in the fossil record, it allows scientists to trace the evolutionary trajectory of these dinosaurs with greater accuracy. This newfound knowledge not only enriches our understanding of tyrannosaur evolution but also offers broader insights into the ecological dynamics of prehistoric times. Researchers continue to study the fossils to uncover more about the lifestyle and environment of this fascinating creature. The ongoing analysis of its physical characteristics and the ecological context in which it lived promises to shed light on the evolutionary adaptations that enabled tyrannosaurs to thrive and diversify into some of the largest land predators in history. The discovery of Khankhuuluu mongoliensis opens new avenues for research and invites us to ponder the incredible journey of evolution. As we continue to uncover the mysteries of these ancient creatures, what other secrets might the past hold about the rise of the world's most fearsome predators? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (21)
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Wild Creations in Cardiff is making its mark on world stage
Wild Creations, based in Cardiff, has produced large-scale props for global theme parks, film launches, and major events, including the famous Ball in the Wall at Cardiff Castle during the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the 13ft smoke-flaring dragon at Caerphilly Castle. Now exporting 90 per cent of its work, the company has built an international reputation with projects such as a life-sized Tyrannosaurus Rex for the launch of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and a replica Dodge Charger car for Fast and Furious 8. Matt Wild, founder and director of Wild Creations, said: "Business Wales' support has been truly outstanding. "Their dedication to helping both growing and new businesses thrive is incredibly inspiring. "It's fantastic to see them championing success at every stage of the journey." Backed by Welsh Government's Business Wales service, Wild Creations has created 36 high-quality jobs in the past year and continues to grow and recruit. Rebecca Evans, cabinet secretary for economy, energy and planning, recently visited the company to see its latest projects and meet other businesses supported by Business Wales. The visit was organised by Business in Focus, the social enterprise delivering entrepreneurship and growth support services for Business Wales. Ms Evans said: "We are eager to unlock new opportunities for businesses across Wales, whether that be to access finance, help them evolve as business leaders, or navigate challenges. "Business Wales has helped businesses across Wales succeed – including Wild Creations – and our team stands ready to offer support at every stage of a business' journey." Phil Jones, CEO of Business in Focus, said the company is proud to partner with Business Wales. He said: "As the lead delivery partner for Business Wales, Business in Focus is proud to champion start-ups and growing enterprises across Wales, offering expert guidance and hands-on support to help businesses thrive, scale, and succeed."
Metro
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Here's every single artist who has headlined Glastonbury since 1970
Glastonbury Festival is legendary, pulling in some of the biggest names in music throughout its 53-year legacy, from David Bowie to Sir Elton John. Speculation over who will take to the Pyramid Stage is always huge, with The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo taking the crowns for 2025's lineup. Looking back at the incredible headliners, it's no surprise that even legends have to wait their turn (unless you're Coldplay, who, as of 2024, have played five times and hold the record for most times as headliner). Come rain or shine, Glastonbury is usually held in late June but not every year as the ground needs to recover with the occasional fallow year — just like next year. Ever since the Somerset music festival opened its doors in 1970, it's pulled in some massive names, especially for a gig that only cost £1 to get into originally. With anticipation for 2025 at an all-time high, we look fondly back at the headliners who've come before… 1970 – T. Rex Tyrannosaurus Rex (soon to be took the first-ever top spot for the launch of Glastonbury Festival after The Kinks pulled out. 1971 – David Bowie Ziggy Stardust became a headliner after Pink Floyd cancelled and, despite his icon status, he would only headline one more time. 1972 to 1977 – No Glasto! 1978 – No headliner This one is known as the 'impromptu' festival with no headliners as such. 1979 – Tim Blake and Peter Gabriel 1981 – Ginger Baker, Hawkwind, and Taj Mahal 1982 – Van Morrison, Jackson Browne 1983 – Curtis Mayfield, UB40 1984 – Weather Report, Black Uhuru and The Smiths 1985 – Echo & The Bunnymen, Joe Cocker and The Boomtown Rats The Style Council and The Pogues also performed but didn't get the top billing. 1986 – The Psychedelic Furs, Level 42, and The Cure Festival goers could also see Madness and Simply Red, with tickets costing less than £20. 1987 – The Communards, Elvis Costello and Van Morrison 1989 – Suzanne Vega, Elvis Costello and Van Morrison This year saw some firsts with the first consecutive headliners, as the festival skipped 1988, plus Suzanne Vega as the first-ever female headliner 12 Glastos in! 1990 – The Cure, Happy Mondays and Sinead O'Connor 1992 – Carter USM, Youssou N'Dour and Shakespeare's Sister 1993 – The Black Crowes, Christy Moore and Lenny Kravitz Red Hot Chilli Peppers were set in the headline slot but decided to drop out of the then £58 festival. 1994 – Levellers, Peter Gabriel and Elvis Costello Lower on the listing were some truly incredible talents and future headliners with Johnny Cash, Rage Against the Machine, Radiohead, Blur, Oasis, and Bjork all performing at the festival. 1995 – Pulp, Oasis, and The Cure 1997 – Ash, The Prodigy, and Radiohead 1998 – Primal Scream, Pulp and Blur 1999 – Skunk Anansie, REM, and Manic Street Preachers This year saw two Glastonbury debuts from future Pyramid Stage headliners Muse and Coldplay. 2000 – Travis, The Chemical Brothers and David Bowie Fans this year were treated to an extra special show as this is the last time the Heroes legend would take to the Pyramid Stage. 2002 – Rod Stewart, Stereophonics and Coldplay 2003 – Moby, REM, and Radiohead 2004 – Muse, Oasis, and Sir Paul McCartney Bellamy, Muse's guitarist, gave the band's headlining performance some extra spark when he smashed his guitar on stage. 2005 – Basement Jaxx, The White Stripes, and Coldplay Jack White has returned to Worthy Farm since but the White Stripes split shortly after this. 2005 was also the year the legendary Kylie Minogue was set to headline but cancelled last minute. 2006 – Arctic Monkeys, The Killers and The Who All first-time headliners this year in an impressive lineup but elsewhere icon Adele was chasing pavements — 10 years before taking the headline spot. 2008 – Kings of Leon, The Verve and Jay Z Every year without fail, Kings of Leon are mentioned as possible headliners; this is the one time it proved to be true. On Sunday, Jay Z made history as the first hip hop headliner, much to Noel Gallagher's chagrin. 2009 – Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Blur 2010 – Muse, Stevie Wonder and Gorillaz 2011 – Coldplay, U2 and Beyonce While Coldplay returned to the festival for the umpteenth time, U2 managed to nab a headline after dropping out the year before (replaced by Gorillaz). Beyonce was the first solo female headliner since Sinead O'Connor and only the third solo female ever. 2013 – Mumford & Sons, Arctic Monkeys and The Rolling Stones 2014 – Arcade Fire, Kasabian and Metallica Dolly Parton was also here for this year's Legend slot and pulled in a massive crowd despite not headlining. 2015 – Kanye West, Florence & The Machine, and The Who Florence only took the top spot after the Foo Fighters dropped out and Ye proved a controversial choice (not for the reasons he would be now, though). 2016 – Muse, Coldplay and Adele 2017 – Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Ed Sheeran 2019 – Stormzy, The Killers and The Cure 2020 – Kendrick Lamar, Sir Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift Only it never happened because, as we all remember, the world was put on pause in the global pandemic. Sir Paul and Taylor have reunited, though, at her Eras Tour in London, while Kendrick featured on her track Bad Blood. This lineup would have been legendary. 2022 – Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Sir Paul McCartney In a slight switch-up of the promised 2020 headliners, Billie became the youngest-ever headliner while Sir Paul took the title of oldest-ever headliner. 2023 – Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses, and Sir Elton John A double debut from two icons here – both Guns N' Roses and Sir Elton had never headlined before. 2024 – Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and Sza Yes, Coldplay again. It's no secret that this line-up caused a little controversy with fans complaining. However, it is also one for the history books as it marked the first time two headline slots have been taken up by female performers – it only took 54 years! More Trending 2025 – The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo Another American pop princess, Olivia Rodrigo, is set to headline and close the show on Sunday — a risky choice after Sza failed to impress but fans have faith in her ability to turn out a show. The 1975 are also a controversial one, as frontman Matty Healy has a tendency to be an absolute menace. Neil Young is probably also controversial to someone, so pinch of salt with the complaints. Other big names this year are Charli XCX being Brat and the return of The Prodigy, as well as Patchwork rumours and our legend, Sir Rod Stewart. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: AliExpress to stock Pop Mart's viral Labubu's ahead of unmissable sale MORE: 'Secret Glastonbury performers' celebrate UK number 1 album weeks before festival MORE: From Glastonbury to Wilderness – what to wear this festival season
Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Science
- Kuwait Times
New T-Rex ancestor discovered in drawers of Mongolian institute
This handout artist's illustration shows the newly discovered dinosaur species Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, an ancestor of Tyrannosaurus Rex. - AFP PARIS: Misidentified bones that languished in the drawers of a Mongolian institute for 50 years belong to a new species of tyrannosaur that rewrites the family history of the mighty T-Rex, scientists said Wednesday. This slender ancestor of the massive Tyrannosaurus Rex was around four meters long and weighed three quarters of a ton, according to a new study in the journal Nature. 'It would have been the size of a very large horse,' study co-author Darla Zelenitsky of Canada's University of Calgary told AFP. The fossils were first dug up in southeastern Mongolia in the early 1970s but at the time were identified as belonging to a different tyrannosaur, Alectrosaurus. For half a century, the fossils sat in the drawers at the Institute of Paleontology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences in the capital Ulaanbaatar. Then PhD student Jared Voris, who was on a trip to Mongolia, started looking through the drawers and noticed something was wrong, Zelenitsky said. It turned out the fossils were well-preserved, partial skeletons of two different individuals of a completely new species. 'It is quite possible that discoveries like this are sitting in other museums that just have not been recognized,' Zelenitsky added. They named the new species Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, which roughly means the dragon prince of Mongolia because it is smaller than the 'king' T-Rex. Zelenitsky said the discovery 'helped us clarify a lot about the family history of the tyrannosaur group because it was really messy previously'. The T-Rex represented the end of the family line. It was the apex predator in North America until 66 million years ago, when an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into the Gulf of Mexico. Three quarters of life on Earth was wiped out, including all the dinosaurs that did not evolve into birds. Around 20 million years earlier, Khankhuuluu - or another closely related family member - is now believed to have migrated from Asia to North America using the land bridge that once connected Siberia and Alaska. This led to tyrannosaurs evolving across North America. Then one of these species is thought to have crossed back over to Asia, where two tyrannosaur subgroups emerged. One was much smaller, weighing under a ton, and was nicknamed Pinocchio rex for its long snout. The other subgroup was huge and included behemoths like the Tarbosaurus, which was only a little smaller than the T-rex. One of the gigantic dinosaurs then left Asia again for North America, eventually giving rise to the T-Rex, which dominated for just two million years - until the asteroid struck.— AFP
Observer
6 days ago
- Science
- Observer
New T-Rex ancestor discovered in drawers of Mongolian institute
Misidentified bones that languished in the drawers of a Mongolian institute for 50 years belong to a new species of tyrannosaur that rewrites the family history of the mighty T-Rex, scientists said Wednesday. This slender ancestor of the massive Tyrannosaurus Rex was around four metres (13 feet) long and weighed three quarters of a tonne, according to a new study in the journal Nature. "It would have been the size of a very large horse," study co-author Darla Zelenitsky of Canada's University of Calgary told AFP. The fossils were first dug up in southeastern Mongolia in the early 1970s but at the time were identified as belonging to a different tyrannosaur, Alectrosaurus. For half a century, the fossils sat in the drawers at the Institute of Paleontology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences in the capital Ulaanbaatar. Then PhD student Jared Voris, who was on a trip to Mongolia, started looking through the drawers and noticed something was wrong, Zelenitsky said. It turned out the fossils were well-preserved, partial skeletons of two different individuals of a completely new species. "It is quite possible that discoveries like this are sitting in other museums that just have not been recognised," Zelenitsky added. - 'Messy' family history - They named the new species Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, which roughly means the dragon prince of Mongolia because it is smaller than the "king" T-Rex. Zelenitsky said the discovery "helped us clarify a lot about the family history of the tyrannosaur group because it was really messy previously". The T-Rex represented the end of the family line. It was the apex predator in North America until 66 million years ago, when an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest slammed into the Gulf of Mexico. Three quarters of life on Earth was wiped out, including all the dinosaurs that did not evolve into birds. Around 20 million years earlier, Khankhuuluu -- or another closely related family member -- is now believed to have migrated from Asia to North America using the land bridge that once connected Siberia and Alaska. This led to tyrannosaurs evolving across North America. Then one of these species is thought to have crossed back over to Asia, where two tyrannosaur subgroups emerged. One was much smaller, weighing under a tonne, and was nicknamed Pinocchio rex for its long snout. The other subgroup was huge and included behemoths like the Tarbosaurus, which was only a little smaller than the T-rex. One of the gigantic dinosaurs then left Asia again for North America, eventually giving rise to the T-Rex, which dominated for just two million years -- until the asteroid struck. —AFP
