Newly Discovered Tyrannosaur Stalked Ancient New Mexico
In the vast and ancient landscapes of New Mexico, a formidable predator once roamed, its name echoing the power and terror it commanded: Dynamoterror dynastes, the “powerful terror ruler.” This newly discovered tyrannosaur, a close relative of the iconic Tyrannosaurus rex, has shed new light on the diverse and dynamic world of these fearsome carnivores.
A Giant Among Giants
Dynamoterror was a colossal beast, stretching approximately 30 feet in length. Its massive frame dwarfed the early tyrannosaurs but fell just shy of the celebrity status of T. rex. Despite its slightly smaller size, Dynamoterror was undoubtedly a top predator in its ancient realm.
A Time of Evolutionary Turmoil
The Late Cretaceous period, when Dynamoterror roamed the Earth, was a time of rapid and dramatic evolutionary change for dinosaurs. North America was split in two by the Western Interior Seaway, creating two distinct subcontinents: Laramidia to the west and Appalachia to the east.
A Rich and Diverse Dinosaur Community
The southern regions of Laramidia, where Dynamoterror lived, were home to a diverse array of dinosaurs. Shovel-beaked hadrosaurs, heavily armored ankylosaurs, and horned ceratopsians were just a few of the neighbors Dynamoterror shared its habitat with.
Uncovering the Tyrant’s Secrets
The remains of Dynamoterror were discovered in New Mexico’s Menefee Formation in 2012 by a team of paleontologists led by Andrew McDonald of the Western Science Center and Douglas Wolfe of the Zuni Dinosaur Institute for Geosciences. The initial find consisted of fragmented bones spilling out of sandstone, hinting at something extraordinary.
Piecing Together the Puzzle
Over the years, researchers painstakingly assembled the scattered bone fragments, including two telltale skull bones called frontals. These critical pieces finally revealed the fossil’s true identity: a previously unknown tyrannosaur species. The discovery was published in the scientific journal PeerJ.
A New Branch on the Tyrannosaur Family Tree
Dynamoterror belongs to a specific subgroup of tyrannosaurs that includes some of the last and largest members of the family, such as T. rex. Its existence suggests that these derived tyrannosaurs emerged earlier than previously believed.
A Window into an Ancient Ecosystem
The presence of Dynamoterror in southern Laramidia provides further evidence that the dinosaur communities in the north and south of the Western Interior Seaway were distinct. This discovery supports the theory that dinosaurs underwent a rapid diversification during the Late Cretaceous period.
A Puzzle with Missing Pieces
The fossil record of dinosaurs from the 80-million-year-old rocks of southern Laramidia is relatively sparse, making the discovery of Dynamoterror particularly valuable. It hints at the existence of many more unknown dinosaurs that once roamed these ancient landscapes.
The Search Continues
The discovery of Dynamoterror has reignited the search for additional tyrannosaurs and other dinosaurs in the northern regions of Laramidia. Paleontologists speculate that there may be other unusual tyrant lizards yet to be unearthed, waiting to shed further light on the rise and dominance of these formidable predators.
