Largest T rex is Described from Canada

[Troodon]

Step aside Sue, the T rex.  The attached article finally describes the largest T rex discovered from the Frenchmans Formation of Saskatchewan, Canada after being discovered in 1991 

 

Abstract

Here we describe an extremely large and relatively complete (roughly 65%) skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex (RSM P2523.8). Multiple measurements (including those of the skull, hip, and limbs) show that RSM P2523.8 was a robust individual with an estimated body mass exceeding all other known T. rex specimens and representatives of all other gigantic terrestrial theropods

 

 

(Paywalled) 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.24118#.XJQsTuqqy7k.twitter

 

An Older and Exceptionally Large Adult Specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex

W. Scott Persons IV,  Philip J. Currie, Gregory M. Erickson

First published: 21 March 2019, https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.24118

 

 

[Dinoguy89]

I'm intrigued by the "making it likely that most taxa grew to significantly greater size". Looking forward to hearing more from this. Thanks

[Paleoworld-101]

Awesome!!!!!! I want access to the full article!

[Troodon]

Old article but gives one the background

https://saskatchewanderer.ca/blog/trex-discovery-centre

@Paleoworld-101

[Paleoworld-101]

18 minutes ago, Troodon said:

Old article but gives one the background

https://saskatchewanderer.ca/blog/trex-discovery-centre

@Paleoworld-101

Oh this is Scotty? I thought it was a new specimen. 

 

Sue is still slightly longer though? 

[Troodon]

Femur, Maxilla and Skull

 

 

[Troodon]

54 minutes ago, Paleoworld-101 said:

Oh this is Scotty? I thought it was a new specimen. 

 

Sue is still slightly longer though? 

Yes its Scotty.  The skeleton was never described and measurements quantified.  The femur which is the key indicator of size as well as the other limb bones are larger than Sue.  Sue is still the most complete one around

[DD1991]

Although Black Beauty (so-called due to the color of the fossilized bone) is the most interesting T. rex specimen found in Canada, the T. rex specimen from Saskatchewan is jaw dropping to me size-wise. Anyone sure if the T. rex from Saskatchewan rivals Spinosaurus in size?

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, DD1991 said:

Although Black Beauty (so-called due to the color of the fossilized bone) is the most interesting T. rex specimen found in Canada, the T. rex specimen from Saskatchewan is jaw dropping to me size-wise. Anyone sure if the T. rex from Saskatchewan rivals Spinosaurus in size?

I think they're saying this is the biggest, or at least has the biggest body mass of any terrestrial carnivore. 

So I am going to have to get out and find a bigger Spinosaurus.

[Pumpkinhead]

I have access through my institution and can share some of the gory details if anyone is curious. Is it ethical to share details from a paywalled paper? Is that "stealing?"

[Abstraktum]

Very exciting news  

 

I would love to have some actual numbers. How big/long was Scotty or some bones of it? 

 

And while I was searching the topic: It was actually pritty hard to find an acurate measurement of Sue.

Everybody seems to be just copying the Wikipedia page. But the Wikipedia source is actually the museum itself. CLICK

 

Quote

At more than 40 feet long and 13 feet tall at the hip [...]

 

40 feet are 12,19 Meters.  And "more than" doesn't sound where precise.  Is there a paper regarding Sue?

 

[LordTrilobite]

4 hours ago, Pumpkinhead said:

I have access through my institution and can share some of the gory details if anyone is curious. Is it ethical to share details from a paywalled paper? Is that "stealing?"

Does it say anything about the animals age besides that it's an old animal?

 

At 28 Sue was the oldest until Trix at over 30 was found. Though Trix is older, it's slightly smaller than Sue at around 12 meters long.

 

2 hours ago, Abstraktum said:

40 feet are 12,19 Meters.  And "more than" doesn't sound where precise.  Is there a paper regarding Sue?

It's generally based on estimates because we often don't have complete animals. Exact measurements can be taken from individual bones but that's no substitute for the measurement of a complete animal. On both Sue and Stan most of the animal length was recovered so the estimates should be pretty good on those individuals. Trix, while big, doesn't have as much of the tail preserved and thus there is more interpretation. But being a very new mount I there was more added space in between the vertebrae for the intervertebral discs. As far as I know many older mounts don't have as much added space in between the vertebrae. So it might be that some of the older mounts need to be scaled up slightly in length.

[Pumpkinhead]

1 hour ago, LordTrilobite said:

Does it say anything about the animals age besides that it's an old animal?

 

At 28 Sue was the oldest until Trix at over 30 was found. Though Trix is older, it's slightly smaller than Sue at around 12 meters long.

 

It's generally based on estimates because we often don't have complete animals. Exact measurements can be taken from individual bones but that's no substitute for the measurement of a complete animal. On both Sue and Stan most of the animal length was recovered so the estimates should be pretty good on those individuals. Trix, while big, doesn't have as much of the tail preserved and thus there is more interpretation. But being a very new mount I there was more added space in between the vertebrae for the intervertebral discs. As far as I know many older mounts don't have as much added space in between the vertebrae. So it might be that some of the older mounts need to be scaled up slightly in length.

 

"The extent of remodelling in RSM P2523.8 precludes direct aging using a total growth line count, as has been done for other tyrannosaurid specimens (Erickson et al., 2004; Erickson, 2005). Nevertheless, the degree of remodelling exceeds that reported in any T. rex long bone (Erickson et al., 2004; Horner and Padian, 2004). This suggests the animal is of at least comparable, and likely more advanced ontogenetic status than the ~28 year old, somatically mature T. rex specimen FMNH PR 2081 (Erickson et al., 2004). Thus, the histological analysis may offer independent support for the prediction that high robustness correlates with greater maturity."

 

This is the most numerical quote I could find, the paper also refers to Scotty as "elder" and having "ontogenetic maturity."

[Scylla]

This article says over 30 years old

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190322163331.htm

[Jaimin013]

This undated and unlocated handout photo released by the University of Alberta shows part of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus rex "Scotty". The towering Tyrannosaurus rex discovered in western Canada in 1991 is the world's biggest, a team, of palaeontologists said on March 22,2019 following a decades-long process of reconstructing its skeleton (Photo by: HO / UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA/AFP)

 

Check out the 3rd and 4th pics - tooth from Saskatchewan's famous T. Rex Scotty, found near EastendSK.
 

 

[Troodon]

Evan Johnson-Ransom posted this Skeletal comparisons of the Tyrannosaurus specimens SUE and Scotty 

Commented that you can see variations in their skulls where Sue’s is longer and Scotty’s is deeper and the former having a longer torso than Scotty’s compact torso. Artwork by Elma Coumbe