Tyrannosaurus rex footprints reveal dinosaur’s walk in North Dakota
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
A research team discovered a sequence of footprints in North Dakota, United States, left by a Tyrannosaurus rex approximately 66.5 million years ago.
The four footprints, two left and two right, form a trackway within the Hell Creek Formation near Marmarth. This marks the first time scientists have found multiple consecutive footprints from a fully grown T.rex. Scientists believe the dinosaur walked at a moderate pace, between five and seven kilometers per hour, similar to a brisk human walking speed.
The footprints, between 60 and 80 centimeters wide, clearly show the three toes on the dinosaur’s hind feet. Researchers calculated the T.rex had a hip height of around four meters based on the footprint size and spacing. The footprints were preserved because the dinosaur stepped in soft ground that filled with sand. Over time, calcium-rich groundwater hardened the sand within the prints and around their edges. Later, erosion removed the softer surrounding rock, exposing the fossilized tracks.
The team also noted that the abundance of T.rex bones and skeletons in the area supports the conclusion that these prints came from an adult dinosaur, as other large herbivores left wider footprints.
