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Boys discover adolescent T. rex bones; ‘Teen Rex’ set to star in documentary

Jun 5

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Three young boys stumbled upon an amazing discovery in the North Dakota Badlands: an adolescent tyrannosaurus rex fossil. Now, the fossil will be studied, displayed and featured in an upcoming documentary at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on June 21. The museum made the announcement on Tuesday, June 4, in a press release.

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The boys, Jessin and Liam Fisher and their cousin Kaiden Madsen, along with their father Sam Fisher, were on a hike in North Dakota in July of 2022, when they made the discovery. After stumbling upon the remains, Sam Fisher contacted his friend, Tyler Lyson, the curator of paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Following excavation of the fossil, paleontologists determined that the T. rex was a juvenile after analyzing its bone structure and by using other methods as well. After analyzing the bones, the scientists determined the adolescent must have weighed about 3,500 pounds at the time of its death, stood 10 feet tall and had a total length of 25 feet.

A full-grown adult T. rex is believed to have reached lengths of up to 40 feet and could weigh up to 8,000 pounds, according to researchers.

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The museum said that most T. rex skeletons are from older, larger specimens, making the discovery of the fossil, now dubbed “Teen Rex,” rare. Paleontologists said that the rarity of this fossil will allow them to learn about the growth and development of the species during a “crucial” stage of its life. The findings could also lend insight into the life of the prehistoric reptiles.

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[JACK AYLMER]

A HEAD-TURNING DISCOVERY.

THREE BOYS FOUND AN ADOLESCENT T-REX FOSSIL IN NORTH DAKOTA’S BADLANDS. NOW THAT FOSSIL IS GOING TO BE THE STAR OF AN UPCOMING DOCUMENTARY.  

THE BOYS, LIAM AND JESSIN FISHER AND THEIR COUSIN, KAIDEN MADSEN, ALONG WITH THEIR FATHER, SAM FISHER,  DISCOVERED THE FOSSIL, NOW DUBBED “TEEN REX,” WHILE HIKING IN 2022.

[LIAM FISHER]

“THIS IS PRETTY COOL. I CAN’T BELIEVE WE JUST FOUND THIS.”

[JACK AYLMER]

AFTER STUMBLING UPON THE REMAINS, SAM, CONTACTED HIS BUDDY– WHO HAPPENS TO BE THE CURATOR OF PALEONTOLOGY AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE.

FOLLOWING EXCAVATION– 

PALEONTOLOGISTS SAY THEY DETERMINED IT TO BE A JUVENILE AFTER ANALYZING ITS BONE STRUCTURE.

SCIENTISTS BELIEVE “TEEN REX” WEIGHED AROUND 35-HUNDRED-POUNDS AND STOOD 10 FEET TALL WITH A TOTAL LENGTH OF 25 FEET.

A FULL-GROWN ADULT BELIEVED TO HAVE REACHED LENGTHS OF UP TO 40 FEET AND COULD WEIGH UP TO EIGHT-THOUSAND POUNDS. 

MOST T-REX SKELETONS ARE FROM OLDER, LARGER SPECIMENS. THE MUSEUM SAYS THE RARITY OF THIS FOSSIL WILL ALLOW RESEARCHERS TO LEARN ABOUT THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPECIES DURING A “CRUCIAL STAGE” OF DEVELOPMENT. OFFERING MORE INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE OF THE PREHISTORIC REPTILES.

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