'Dueling dinosaurs,' entangled fossils of Triceratops and T. rex will find home in Raleigh
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences announced Tuesday a first-of-its-kind exhibit coming to Raleigh that can't be found anywhere else in the world. The museum is now in possession of an extremely rare discovery -- the remains of a young Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops that were found buried together in Hells Creek, Montana. The two dinosaurs may have dueled to their deaths. "This is essentially a murder mystery in the making for the scientific team to uncover," said Lindsay Zanno, the museum's head paleontologist.
The remains were uncovered about 10 years ago, but they're estimated to be around 67 million years old. Zanno and the museum became involved around five years ago when their team first saw the specimens in a warehouse in Long Island, where they had gone to auction but not been sold. Zanno said this is the first time in known history that a T. rex has been 100% recovered. The Triceratops, too, is almost completely in its full form, and both specimens even contain skin impressions from the dinosaurs. "These specimens are pristine," she said. "Every bone is in its natural position as it was when the animal died."
"In fall 2022, the life-size fossils will go on display as part of the museum's permanent collection. Even after the exhibit launches, scientists will keep studying the fossils for years to come to learn what could have happened to the dinosaurs that day.
"This is an unfolding story," Roy Campbell, the museum's director of exhibits and digital media said. "When people lay eyes on these specimens in 2022, it's just the beginning. The science begins here in this museum as we begin to uncover and decode the story locked inside these fossils. It will be ever-changing for many years to come
Full article and photos:
https://www.wral.com/nc-museum-of-natural-sciences-unveils-worlds-first-complete-t-rex/19388011/
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