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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Nicola Davis Science correspondent

Fossils found in 1970s are most recent ancestor of tyrannosaurs, scientists say

an illustration of a dinosaur
The new species, Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, which means ‘Prince of Dragons of Mongolia’. Photograph: Julius Csotonyi

Tyrannosaurs might evoke images of serrated teeth, massive bodies and powerful tails, but their most recent ancestor yet discovered was a slender, fleet-footed beast of rather more modest size.

Experts say the new species – identified from two partial skeletons – helps fill a gap in the fossil record between the small, early ancestors of tyrannosaurs and the huge predators that evolved later.

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