Overview
- Researchers on March 12 detailed a reanalysis of a tyrannosaur tibia from the Kirtland Formation in northwestern New Mexico, dated to the Late Campanian.
- The bone is about 96 centimeters long and 13 centimeters wide—around 80% of Sue’s tibia—suggesting a roughly 4.7‑ton animal about 10.5 meters long.
- The team informally names the specimen the Hunter Wash tyrannosaur and withholds a formal species because only this single bone is known.
- Authors say the fossil best fits a close relative—possibly even a direct ancestor—of T. rex and argue the evidence aligns with a southern North American origin for large tyrannosaurs.
- Some experts question the assignment based on one incomplete bone, noting it could represent a large Bistahieversor, while field teams plan expanded searches to recover more material.