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New Nanotyrannus Species Unravel Dinosaur Evolution Mysteries

11/7/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Scientists have identified two new Nanotyrannus species, previously mistaken for juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.
One fossil from the "Dueling Dinosaurs" site in Montana is Nanotyrannus lancensis, a mature predator that coexisted with Tyrannosaurus rex.
The findings, published in Nature, challenge beliefs about dinosaur evolution and imply a more complex Late Cretaceous ecosystem with multiple predators.
A second species, Nanotyrannus lethaeus, was identified, indicating greater tyrannosaur diversity.

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Story summary

Scientists have identified two new Nanotyrannus species, previously mistaken for juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.
One fossil from the "Dueling Dinosaurs" site in Montana is Nanotyrannus lancensis, a mature predator that coexisted with Tyrannosaurus rex.
The findings, published in Nature, challenge beliefs about dinosaur evolution and imply a more complex Late Cretaceous ecosystem with multiple predators.
A second species, Nanotyrannus lethaeus, was identified, indicating greater tyrannosaur diversity.