Paleontologists have unearthed four fossilized footprints in North Dakota that represent the first trackway ever discovered from an adult Tyrannosaurus rex. The 23-foot-long trail, found in the Hell Creek Formation, features two left and two right footprints, each measuring approximately three feet in length. Researchers believe the massive predator walked through the swampy, forested landscape at a speed of 3.4 to 4.5 miles per hour roughly 66.5 million years ago.
What does this T. rex trackway reveal?
The discovery provides a rare glimpse into the behavior of a living dinosaur, allowing scientists to track its movement across the landscape. Unlike fossilized bones, which offer structural data, these footprints capture a specific moment in time. Researchers are using high-resolution 3D scans to study the stride and foot structure, which may provide new information on how the T. rex moved and interacted with its environment.
How were these ancient tracks preserved?
The footprints were preserved through a unique geological process in the Hell Creek Formation. Scientists believe the depressions were filled with bacteria-laden water, which triggered the accumulation of dissolved minerals. Over millions of years, these minerals cemented into a dense, hardened mass of calcium carbonate and sandstone. As the surrounding softer mud eroded, the footprints remained as raised, three-dimensional casts rather than hollow molds.
