For the first time, paleontologists may have found a trackway made by an adult Tyrannosaurus rex! 🦖👣
Discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of southwestern North Dakota, this remarkable trackway preserves four connected three-toed footprints, each roughly 1 meter (3 feet) long. The trackway stretches for about 7 meters (23 feet) and dates back approximately 66.5 million years.
The trackmaker is believed to have been an adult Tyrannosaurus rex based on the size and morphology of the footprints, their geological age and location, and the presence of T. rex fossils in the same formation. However, as with any fossil trackway, the identification is not absolutely certain.
What’s even more fascinating is what these footprints can tell us about how T. rex actually moved.
The trackway suggests the animal was walking at an estimated speed of around 1.5–2 meters per second — roughly 3.4–4.5 miles per hour.
Fossil bones can tell us what an animal looked like.
Fossil footprints can tell us what that animal was actually doing.
In this episode, we’re taking a look at this incredible trackway and what it can tell us about the movements of the King of the Dinosaurs!
🦖 Four connected footprints 👣 Roughly 3-foot-long tracks 🌎 Hell Creek Formation ⏳ About 66.5 million years old 🚶 Estimated walking speed of 3.4–4.5 mph 🔬 Why trackways are so important for understanding dinosaur behavior
A dinosaur we thought was exclusively North American has now been found in Spain! 🦕🇪🇸
Paleontologists have identified fossils from the La Tejería site near El Castellar in Teruel, Spain, as belonging to Diplodocus — making this the first confirmed evidence of Diplodocus outside North America!
The fossils include 14 tail vertebrae and several chevrons, dating to roughly 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic. The animal is estimated to have reached around 25 meters (82 feet) in length.
But this discovery isn’t just about finding Diplodocus in a new country. It raises some fascinating questions about how dinosaurs were able to move between North America and Europe during the Late Jurassic, when the continents were already separating.
In this video, we’re taking a look at:
🦕 The discovery of Diplodocus in Spain 🦴 What fossils were actually found 🌎 How Diplodocus could have reached Europe 🗺️ What this tells us about Late Jurassic geography 🦖 The dinosaur ecosystems of Jurassic Spain 🔬 Why this discovery changes our understanding of Diplodocus’ distribution
📄 READ THE SCIENTIFIC PAPER:
Sánchez-Fenollosa, S., García-Cobeña, J., & Cobos, A. (2026). “Intercontinental evidence of the iconic genus Diplodocus Marsh, 1878 (Dinosauria, Sauropoda).” Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Meet Kayrasaurus changliensis, a newly described therizinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China.
In this episode of the Prehistoric Life Podcast, we’re taking a look at this bizarre new dinosaur and what its discovery can tell us about the evolution and ecology of early therizinosaurs.
The specimen is particularly interesting because it is nearly complete and skeletally immature, yet was already substantially larger than other therizinosaurs known from the same Jehol ecosystem. The researchers estimate that Kayrasaurus was at least 1.6 times larger than Beipiaosaurus inexpectus, the next-largest therizinosaur from the same ecosystem.
We’ll look at:
🦖 What Kayrasaurus changliensis was
🦴 Where it was discovered
🦷 Its unusual, extremely small and densely packed teeth
🦕 Its unusual neck vertebrae and hand claw anatomy
🌎 How it fits into the famous Jehol Biota
🍃 Possible differences in ecological niches between early therizinosaurs
🧬 What this discovery tells us about therizinosaur evolution
🔬 And why the researchers emphasize that more fossils and analyses are still needed to test these ideas
One of the really fascinating parts of this research is that the authors provisionally identify different ecological strategies among Jehol therizinosaurs. Beipiaosaurus and possibly Kayrasaurus show features associated with greater bite force and a more robust, less cursorial body plan, while Jianchangosaurus and Lingyuanosaurus show characteristics associated with greater cursoriality and forelimb-based foraging.
As always, it’s important to distinguish between what the fossils directly show and what researchers are interpreting from them. The authors specifically note that additional analyses and more complete specimens will be necessary to rigorously test and refine these ecological hypotheses.
🔬 READ THE SCIENTIFIC PAPER
The research was published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, a scientific journal specializing in paleontological systematics, including taxonomy, phylogenetics, functional morphology, evolution, and paleoecology.
“A new therizinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota and ecomorphological patterns among early therizinosaurians” — Liao et al. 2026
Journal: Journal of Systematic Palaeontology
Volume: 24
Issue: 2
Article: 2710287
DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2026.2710287
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To help make that vision a reality, I’m currently running a Kickstarter to fund the first major physical exhibit for the project—a full-scale dynamic scene featuring an Allosaurus jimmadseni pursuing a juvenile Stegosaurus.
The goal is to create an exhibit that can eventually be displayed in the future museum, while also being transportable for educational events and public outreach along the way.
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If you enjoy dinosaur discoveries, fossils, paleontology research, museum projects, and prehistoric life, subscribe to Prehistoric Life and join me for the next discovery!
🦖 A brand new dinosaur has just been described from Alberta, Canada!In this episode of the Prehistoric Life Podcast, we break down the newly published paper describing Plesiolophus warnerensis, a newly named lambeosaurine dinosaur that may represent one of the earliest known relatives of Parasaurolophus.This discovery comes from the Oldman Formation of southern Alberta and helps fill a major gap in the evolutionary history of the famous crested duck-billed dinosaurs. We discuss:What Plesiolophus warnerensis isWhy its braincase is so importantHow it fits into the Parasaurolophus family treeWhat this means for Late Cretaceous dinosaur evolution in AlbertaAnd why this fossil may represent a crucial transitional form in parasaurolophin evolution🎙️ If you enjoy deep dives into new paleontology papers, dinosaur discoveries, and evolutionary mysteries, this episode is for you.📄 Read the paper herePlesiolophus warnerensis (new lambeosaurine dinosaur from the Oldman Formation, Alberta): 🔗 Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences paper : https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjes-2026-0013🦕 Subscribe for moreNew episodes cover:The latest dinosaur discoveriesFossil deep divesMuseum visitsInterviews with paleontologistsAnd the science behind prehistoric life👍 Like, comment, and subscribe if you want to see more episodes breaking down brand-new paleontology research as soon as it is published.🦕 SUPPORT THE PREHISTORIC LIFE PATREON If you want to help fuel these projects (and get some exclusive perks), consider supporting the Prehistoric Life Patreon. Every bit helps me create bigger and better content for you all. Thank you all so much for being here and supporting these worlds we’re building together. More updates coming soon—stay prehistoric! 🌋🦖 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more fossil-filled content! 🎙️ Hosted by Prehistoric Life Podcast: 🌐 Website: prehistoriclifepodcast.com 💖 Support the show: patreon.com/c/PrehistoricLifePodcast 🦴 This Episode is Sponsored By: 🔍 Dinosaur Trips — Go on a fossil-hunting adventure of a lifetime! 🦕 Mention Prehistoric Life Podcast at checkout and get $250 off your tickets: 👉 dinosaurtrips.com 🦖 DinosaurSkeletons.co.uk — For museum-quality fossil replicas and decor: 👉 dinosaurskeletons.co.uk
The Suchomimus Taxonomy Scandal + Mind-Blowing New Spinosaur CT Scans!Is one of the world’s most famous spinosaurs actually a lie? 🦖In today’s episode of the Prehistoric Life Podcast, we are diving straight into the massive paleontology scandal taking the internet by storm! A groundbreaking 2026 paper published in Geodiversitas by Frédéric Pittet has proposed that Suchomimus tenerensis might actually be a junior synonym of Cristatusaurus lapparenti—potentially sinking the beloved giant from Niger forever.But is the case actually closed? We break down the taxonomic drama, explore Dr. Brian Curtice’s (Fossil Crates) fascinating breakdown of the major scaling anomalies in the Suchomimus holotype models, and reveal why this “scandal” might be incredibly premature.Plus, we look at what the paper is actually about: spectacular new CT scans revealing the hyper-sensitive, crocodile-like neurovascular canals inside spinosaur snouts and their rapid, self-sustaining tooth-replacement conveyor belts! Let me know in the comments: Are you Team Suchomimus or Team Cristatusaurus?🔗 Links & Resources:Check out Dr. Brian Curtice’s excellent scaling breakdown on the Fossil Crates channel: https://youtu.be/jIvySfltqGc?si=lYQwa5N5QvX98DV2Read the full study in Geodiversitas: https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/en/periodiques/geodiversitas/48/12👍 Like, subscribe, and stick around for more dinosaur projects, fossil science, and prehistoric storytelling!🦕 SUPPORT THE PREHISTORIC LIFE PATREON If you want to help fuel these projects (and get some exclusive perks), consider supporting the Prehistoric Life Patreon. Every bit helps me create bigger and better content for you all. Thank you all so much for being here and supporting these worlds we’re building together. More updates coming soon—stay prehistoric! 🌋🦖 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more fossil-filled content! 🎙️ Hosted by Prehistoric Life Podcast: 🌐 Website: prehistoriclifepodcast.com 💖 Support the show: patreon.com/c/PrehistoricLifePodcast 🦴 This Episode is Sponsored By: 🔍 Dinosaur Trips — Go on a fossil-hunting adventure of a lifetime! 🦕 Mention Prehistoric Life Podcast at checkout and get $250 off your tickets: 👉 dinosaurtrips.com 🦖 DinosaurSkeletons.co.uk — For museum-quality fossil replicas and decor: 👉 dinosaurskeletons.co.uk #Paleontology #Suchomimus #Spinosaurus #Dinosaurs #PrehistoricLifePodcast #DinosaurScandal #ScienceNews
Spinosaurus may not have been fully marine like a mosasaur…
but it may have occupied a unique ecological niche unlike any other giant dinosaur in history.
A predator caught between land and sea.
👍 Like, subscribe, and stick around for more dinosaur projects, fossil science, and prehistoric storytelling!
🦕 SUPPORT THE PREHISTORIC LIFE PATREON If you want to help fuel these projects (and get some exclusive perks), consider supporting the Prehistoric Life Patreon. Every bit helps me create bigger and better content for you all. Thank you all so much for being here and supporting these worlds we’re building together. More updates coming soon—stay prehistoric!
🌋🦖 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more fossil-filled content!
🎙️ Hosted by Prehistoric Life Podcast:
🌐 Website: prehistoriclifepodcast.com
💖 Support the show: patreon.com/c/PrehistoricLifePodcast
🦴 This Episode is Sponsored By:
🔍 Dinosaur Trips — Go on a fossil-hunting adventure of a lifetime!
🦕 Mention Prehistoric Life Podcast at checkout and get $250 off your tickets:
👉 dinosaurtrips.com
🦖 DinosaurSkeletons.co.uk — For museum-quality fossil replicas and decor:
