Five Fossil Discoveries That Rewrote the Image of Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus rex, first named in 1905, has transformed from a sluggish swamp predator to a potentially feathered, warm-blooded ambush hunter. A paper from the same year highlighted its diminutive forelimbs, a feature later confirmed by a fossil discovered in 1988, which revealed two fingers. Research published in May proposed that these reduced forelimbs contributed to a more powerful neck and head. A 2023 study indicated that T. rex likely possessed protective lips, based on enamel analysis of Daspletosaurus. According to a February study, it could sprint at speeds of up to 12 miles per hour, preying on the weak and scavenging. In September, paleontologists assessed its body temperature at 97°F, facilitating its habitat range from Texas to Saskatchewan. Feathered relatives like Dilong and Yutyrannus imply that plumage may have been present in the lineage, although no feathers have yet been discovered with T. rex.