Dueling Dinosaurs

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Reconstruction at the specimens in their in situ poses at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The actual specimens had to be taken apart to be transported, and are thus no longer in the same pose as they were found. Dueling Dinosaurs Reconstruction.jpg
Reconstruction at the specimens in their in situ poses at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The actual specimens had to be taken apart to be transported, and are thus no longer in the same pose as they were found.

The Dueling Dinosaurs or Montana Dueling Dinosaurs is a fossil specimen originating from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. It consists of the fossilized skeletons of a tyrannosaur (generally considered a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex ) and a Triceratops horridus entangled with one another and entombed in sandstone. This is identical to the Fighting Dinosaurs, an 80-million-year-old specimen found in 1971 Mongolia where a Velociraptor and Protoceratops were locked in battle and preserved. [1] The "dueling" inference comes from the numerous injuries sustained by both dinosaurs, including a tooth from the tyrannosaur embedded within the Triceratops, although it is not known whether they were actually buried fighting one another. Tyrannosaurus rex (Tyrant Lizard King) was a 40 ft. long carnivore weighing 10 tons and ruled the Cretaceous period with strong jaws and sharp teeth to tear up to 500 pounds of flesh and bone in a single bite. Triceratops (Three-Horned Face) was bigger than an elephant and was notified by a rounded skull with horns and a bony frill to intimidate and defend against predators. [2] Despite the scientific importance of the specimen, it remained obscure for decades due to a lengthy legal dispute over property rights to the specimen, which has since been resolved. The fossil is in the possession of and being studied by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, where it went on display in 2024. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Contents

History

The specimen was originally discovered in 2006 by ranchers Clayton Phipps, Mark Eatman, and Chad O’Connor in Montana. Two different ranching families, the Seversons and the Murrays, owned the land on which the fossils were found. Phipps enlisted the help of CK Preparations, run by Preparer Chris Morrow and Paleoartist Katie Busch, to prepare the specimen. [8] [9]

The Dueling Dinosaurs remained obscure until 2011, when a marketing campaign, including a dedicated website, was launched by the ranchers (with the assistance of commercial paleontologist Pete Larson) to sell them to a prospective buyer. The ranchers unsuccessfully tried to sell the fossil to several museums, including the Smithsonian and the Museum of the Rockies. With no buyers, the fossils were slated to be sold to a private collector instead. In 2013, Larson presented a poster about the tyrannosaur (also referred to as "Bloody Mary", specimen number BHI 6437) at the annual Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting, pronouncing it as a potential specimen of the debated tyrannosaur genus " Nanotyrannus ". This presentation was met with significant controversy and ethical complaints, due to the opposition surrounding publishing on privately-owned specimens. Shortly afterwards, the specimens went on sale, including auctioning at Bonhams, but no purchase was made. [8] [10] [11]

In 2016, Lindsay Zanno of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences reached out to Phipps, starting negotiations to purchase the fossil, with funds being raised through the private nonprofit Friends of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. However, legal issues over rightful ownership of the fossils slowed these negotiations: the Seversons had most of the control over mineral rights on Murray land, and whether fossils could be considered minerals (in which case the Seversons would have rights to it) was disputed. Although a previous court had ruled in favor of the Murrays, in November 2018 judges ruled in favor of the Seversons and that fossils could legally be considered minerals in Montana, angering many paleontologists. However, the case was appealed to the Montana Supreme Court in 2020, who ruled that fossils could not be considered minerals, allowing for the Museum of Natural Sciences to acquire the fossils. [3] [12] [13] [14] [15]

The specimens were officially revealed to the public in April 2024, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by then-state governor Roy Cooper. [16]

Significance

Cast of a skin impression from the foot of the tyrannosaur Dueling Dinosaurs skin impression.jpg
Cast of a skin impression from the foot of the tyrannosaur

The specimen is considered one of the best-preserved and most complete fossils of both species of Triceratops and over 98% completeness of a Tyrannosaurus [17] and contains skin impressions, and potentially internal organs, stomach contents, and proteins. [3] [5]

For a long time, paleontologists, artists, and filmmakers made several depictions of Tyrannosaurus rex pitted against Triceratops. The diet of a T-Rex is indicated by studying bitten bones and coprolites (feces). However, there is no direct evidence T-Rex and Triceratops ever fought. Furthermore, a lot of Triceratops only had traces indicating scavenging. Yet healed injuries on either a T-Rex or Triceratops would be a clear sign of a fight [18] . A juvenile T-Rex has a bite force of 5,641 newtons compared to the 35,000 newtons of a full-grown adult. Paleontologists use this information to confirmed juveniles do not crush bone but that comes with growth and development, advancing their bite power and strengthening their jaws. Therefore, T-Rex bite force rises in strength and power in correspondence to its size and weight with age [19] . The presence of holes on the frill revealed evidence of what could only be done by combat injuries, similar to elk and deer. Chemical analysis indicated the injuries on the bones to be healed. This confirmed Triceratops was capable of battling whether it's two males fighting for dominance or defense against predators [20] .

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Tyrannosaurus</i> Genus of Late Cretaceous theropod

Tyrannosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species Tyrannosaurus rex, often shortened to T. rex or colloquially T-Rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It lived throughout what is now western North America, on what was then an island continent known as Laramidia. Tyrannosaurus had a much wider range than other tyrannosaurids. Fossils are found in a variety of rock formations dating to the latest Campanian-Maastrichtian ages of the late Cretaceous period, 72.7 to 66 million years ago. It was the last known member of the tyrannosaurids and among the last non-avian dinosaurs to exist before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrannosauridae</span> Family of dinosaurs

Tyrannosauridae is a family of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs that comprises two subfamilies containing up to fifteen genera, including the eponymous Tyrannosaurus. The exact number of genera is controversial, with some experts recognizing as few as three. All of these animals lived near the end of the Cretaceous Period and their fossils have been found only in North America and Asia.

<i>Daspletosaurus</i> Genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur from Late Cretaceous period

Daspletosaurus is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur that lived in Laramidia between about 78 and 74.4 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period. The genus Daspletosaurus contains three named species. Fossils of the earlier type species, D. torosus, have been found in Alberta, while fossils of a later species, D. horneri, have been found only in Montana. D. wilsoni has been suggested as an intermediate species between D. torosus and D. horneri that evolved through anagenesis, but this theory has been disputed by other researchers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Horner (paleontologist)</span> American paleontologist (born 1946)

John Robert Horner is an American paleontologist most famous for describing Maiasaura, providing the first clear evidence that some dinosaurs cared for their young. In addition to his paleontological discoveries, Horner served as the technical advisor for the first five Jurassic Park films, had a cameo appearance in Jurassic World, and served as a partial inspiration for one of the lead characters of the franchise, Dr. Alan Grant. Horner studied at the University of Montana, although he did not complete his degree due to undiagnosed dyslexia, and was awarded a Doctorate in Science honoris causa. He retired from Montana State University on July 1, 2016, although he claims to have been pushed out of the Museum of the Rockies after having married an undergraduate student and now teaches as a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University.

<i>Gorgosaurus</i> Genus of tyrannosaur dinosaur

Gorgosaurus is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period (Campanian), between about 76.5 and 75 million years ago. Fossil remains have been found in the Canadian province of Alberta and the U.S. state of Montana. Paleontologists recognize only the type species, G. libratus, although other species have been erroneously referred to the genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnum Brown</span> American paleontologist (1873–1963)

Barnum Brown, commonly referred to as Mr. Bones, was an American paleontologist. Named after the circus showman P. T. Barnum, he discovered the first documented remains of Tyrannosaurus during a career that made him one of the most famous fossil hunters working from the late Victorian era into the early 20th century.

<i>Tyrannosaurus</i> in popular culture

Tyrannosaurus rex is unique among dinosaurs in its place in modern culture; paleontologist Robert Bakker has called it "the most popular dinosaur among people of all ages, all cultures, and all nationalities". Paleontologists Mark Norell and Lowell Dingus have likewise called it "the most famous dinosaur of all times." Paleoartist Gregory S. Paul has called it "the theropod. [...] This is the public's favorite dinosaur [...] Even the formations it is found in have fantastic names like Hell Creek and Lance." Other paleontologists agree with that and note that whenever a museum erects a new skeleton or bring in an animatronic model, visitor numbers go up. "Jurassic Park and King Kong would not have been the same without it." In the public mind, T. rex sets the standard of what a dinosaur should be. Science writer Riley Black similarly states, "In all of prehistory, there is no animal that commands our attention quite like Tyrannosaurus rex, the king of the tyrant lizards. Since the time this dinosaur was officially named in 1905, the enormous carnivore has stood as the ultimate dinosaur."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles W. Gilmore</span> American paleontologist

Charles Whitney Gilmore was an American paleontologist who gained renown in the early 20th century for his work on vertebrate fossils during his career at the United States National Museum. Gilmore named many dinosaurs in North America and Mongolia, including the Cretaceous sauropod Alamosaurus, Alectrosaurus, Archaeornithomimus, Bactrosaurus, Brachyceratops, Chirostenotes, Mongolosaurus, Parrosaurus, Pinacosaurus, Styracosaurus ovatus and Thescelosaurus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences</span> Natural history museum in Raleigh, North Carolina

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) is a natural history museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. The museum is the oldest in the state, and the largest natural history museum in the Southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrannosaurinae</span> Extinct subfamily of dinosaurs

Tyrannosaurinae is one of the two extinct subfamilies of Tyrannosauridae, a family of coelurosaurian theropods that consists of at least three tribes and several genera. All fossils of these genera have been found in the Late Cretaceous deposits of western North America and east Asia. Compared to the related subfamily Albertosaurinae, tyrannosaurines overall are more robust and larger though the alioramins were gracile by comparison. This subfamily also includes Lythronax, one of the oldest known tyrannosaurid genera, as well as the youngest and most famous member of the group, Tyrannosaurus rex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue (dinosaur)</span> Very complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil

Sue is the nickname given to FMNH PR 2081, which is one of the largest, most extensive, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever found, at over 90 percent recovered by bulk. FMNH PR 2081 was discovered on August 12, 1990, by American explorer and fossil collector Sue Hendrickson, and was named after her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan (dinosaur)</span> Tyrannosaurus rex specimen

"Stan", also known by its inventory number BHI 3033, is a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil found in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota, just outside of Buffalo in 1987, and excavated in 1992. It is the fifth most complete T. rex fossil discovered to date, at more than 70% bulk. In October 2020, the fossil was sold for $31.8 million at auction, making it at the time the most expensive dinosaur specimen and fossil ever sold. This record stood until July 2024, when the Stegosaurus fossil Apex sold at auction for $44.6 million. In March 2022, Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism stated that they had acquired Stan and were planning on displaying the fossil at a new museum of natural history scheduled to open in 2025.

Specimens of <i>Tyrannosaurus</i>

Tyrannosaurus is one of the most iconic dinosaurs and is known from numerous specimens, some of which have individually acquired notability due to their scientific significance and media coverage.

Feeding behaviour of <i>Tyrannosaurus</i>

The feeding behaviour of Tyrannosaurus rex has been studied extensively. The well known attributes of T. rex are often interpreted to be indicative of either a predatory or scavenging lifestyle, and as such the biomechanics, feeding strategies and diet of Tyrannosaurus have been subject to much research and debate.

Lindsay E. Zanno is an American vertebrate paleontologist and a leading expert on theropod dinosaurs and Cretaceous paleoecosystems. She is the Head of Paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trix (dinosaur)</span> Tyrannosaurus rex specimen

Trix is a Tyrannosaurus rex specimen excavated in 2013 in Montana, United States by a team of paleontologists from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, the Netherlands and Black Hills institute of Geological Research in South Dakota. This Tyrannosaurus, over thirty years old – the oldest known Tyrannosaurus specimen – lived about 67 million years ago. It is considered to be the third most complete Tyrannosaurus found, with between 78% and 80% of its bone volume recovered. The specimen was named Trix after the former Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. It is one of only two Tyrannosaurus specimens on permanent exhibit in mainland Europe. The other one is a specimen named Tristan on exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titus (dinosaur)</span> Dinosaur specimen

Titus is an obsidian black skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex discovered in the Hell Creek Formation, Montana, United States in 2014 and excavated in 2018.

Victoria is a specimen of the species Tyrannosaurus rex recognized for its well-preserved and nearly complete skeleton, making it the second most complete T. rex finds in recent history. Victoria got her name in the lab in Victoria, British Columbia, where it was studied and restored.

References

  1. ↑ ""The Fighting Dinosaurs"". American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  2. ↑ ""Profile: Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus"". North Dakota Studies. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  3. 1 2 3 "'Dueling Dinosaurs' fossil, hidden from science for 14 years, could finally reveal its secrets". Science. National Geographic. 2020-11-17. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  4. ↑ "'Dueling dinosaurs' fossils show Triceratops, T. rex, may have died after a battle". www.msn.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  5. 1 2 "North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to receive the "Dueling Dinosaurs"". Programs and Events Calendar. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences . Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  6. ↑ Strickland, Ashley (17 November 2020). "'Dueling dinosaurs' fossils show Triceratops, T. rex, may have died after a battle". CNN. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  7. ↑ Patrick, Jessica; Armstrong, Rick (2020-11-17). "NC Museum of Natural Sciences unveils world's first complete T. rex". WRAL News. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  8. 1 2 Bowley, Graham (2013-07-29). "Clashing Titans for Sale". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  9. ↑ Magazine, Smithsonian; Sager, Mike. "Will the Public Ever Get to See the "Dueling Dinosaurs"?". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  10. ↑ "Auction Block Dinosaur Stirs Controversy at SVP". Science. 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  11. ↑ "Nanotyrannus lancensis (Gilmore 1946)". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  12. ↑ Pantuso, Phillip (2019-07-17). "Perhaps the best dinosaur fossil ever discovered. So why has hardly anyone seen it?". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  13. ↑ "Millions at stake in Montana dinosaur fight: Are fossils minerals?". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  14. ↑ Sager, Mike. "Will the Public Ever Get to See the "Dueling Dinosaurs"?". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  15. ↑ "'Dueling dinosaurs' of Hell Creek find home in North Carolina museum". The Guardian. Associated Press in Raleigh, North Carolina. 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  16. ↑ "'Dueling Dinosaurs' exhibit opens in Raleigh | The North State Journal". nsjonline.com. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  17. ↑ Keats, Jonathon. "Montana's Dueling Dinosaurs To Fetch Up To $9 Million At Bonhams Auction". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  18. ↑ Black, Riley (2012-10-26). ""Did Tyrannosaurus Ever Battle Triceratops?"". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  19. ↑ ""Crunch, crunch: UWO research shows teenage T. rex had a powerful bite"". Universities of Wisconsin. 2021-06-25.
  20. ↑ Patton, Paul (2022-08-23). "The Battle Between Triceratops and Triceratops". Moment of Science. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
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