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Fossilized tissue reveals largest known T. rex died from broken rib
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- Scotty, the largest Tyrannosaurus rex fossil discovered, stood 13 feet tall at the hip, measured over 43 feet long, and weighed up to 19,500 pounds, dating back 66 million years.
- Remarkably, one of Scotty's bones still contains preserved soft tissue, a rare find in paleontology, allowing researchers to study fossilized dinosaur tissue microscopically.
- Using advanced neutron imaging and X-ray techniques at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scientists visualized Scotty's rib and mineralized blood vessels without damaging the fossil.
- The preserved blood vessels suggest Scotty sustained a broken rib during a dinosaur fight, and iron-rich blood facilitated healing before the T. rex died in a marsh environment that slowed decomposition and enabled fossilization of soft tissues.
- This discovery provides unprecedented insights into dinosaur anatomy and healing processes, marking a significant advancement in paleontological imaging and analysis.
