Move over, Sue! Paleontologists in China’s ‘dinosaur city’ of Zhucheng have uncovered fossils of a colossal tyrannosaur that could rival the world’s most famous T. rex in size. 🌏🔍
The jaw-dropping discovery includes a 1.21-meter-long thigh bone – the longest tyrannosaur femur ever found in Asia – and a vertebra wider than a basketball hoop’s rim. Researchers estimate this prehistoric predator stretched over 12 meters long, matching the legendary ‘Sue’ displayed at Chicago’s Field Museum.
‘This dinosaur belongs to a new species we named Zhuchengtyrannus magnus. It’s the earliest tyrannosaur found here,’ said Chen Shuqing from Zhucheng’s dinosaur research center. 🦴💥
While scientists debate whether these fossils belong to the local species or a close cousin, the find fuels the ‘Asia origin’ theory for North America’s iconic T. rex. Could these giants have roamed from Zhucheng to Wyoming millions of years ago? 🧐🌎
Zhucheng – already famous for 10+ new dino species – continues rewriting history books. Who knows what other Jurassic secrets lie beneath its soil? 🔥📚
