Researchers Suggest Tyrannosaurus Had 3 Separate Species, Not Just Rex

  • 2 years ago
Researchers Suggest , Tyrannosaurus Had 3 Separate Species, , Not Just Rex.
A group of researchers now believe that
Tyrannosaurus actually consisted of three
separate species and not just a single T. rex. .
Reuters reports that the T. rex has
long been recognized as the sole genus
of Tyrannosaurus since its discovery in 1905. .
Independent paleontologist and paleoartist
Gregory Paul and his team examined the remains
of about three dozen Tyrannosaurus fossils. .
Their research led to the recognition of two additional species: , T. imperator, meaning "tyrant lizard emperor,"
and T. regina, meaning "tyrant lizard queen.".
After over a century of all specimens
being placed into one species without
the issue being carefully examined,
the first and only analysis finds that
the variation in Tyrannosaurus
is beyond the norms for dinosaurs, , Gregory Paul, Independent paleontologist
and paleoartist, via Reuters.
... and is distributed over time
in a manner that indicates that
Darwinian speciation from one
(species) to two new species
had occurred before the
final dinosaur extinction
cut off further evolution, Gregory Paul, Independent paleontologist
and paleoartist, via Reuters.
Reuters reports that Tyrannosaurus
roamed western North America
until about 66 million years ago. .
According to Reuters, there remains some
disagreement among paleontologists. .
Critics of the study claim that the variations
are not enough evidence to clearly define
a new species of Tyrannosaurus. .
It's hard to define a species, even for animals
today, and these fossils have no genetic
evidence that can test whether there were
truly separate populations. Until I see much
stronger evidence, these are all still T. rex
to me, and that's what I'll be calling them, Steve Brusatte, University of Edinburgh
paleontologist, via Reuters.
It's hard to define a species, even for animals
today, and these fossils have no genetic
evidence that can test whether there were
truly separate populations. Until I see much
stronger evidence, these are all still T. rex
to me, and that's what I'll be calling them, Steve Brusatte, University of Edinburgh
paleontologist, via Reuters

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