Tags: Environment

Tyrannosaurus Rex: New fossils surprises scientists

Dinosaurs have always been a topic for interest for the scientists and the general public alike. We know this fact very well considering the success Jurassic Park movies had at the box office. The latest news regarding the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex has sparked fire back into the research of these species.

Scientists have recently excavated remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex in Montana, US. They have found a layer of medullary bone found inside the leg bones of the animal. And it shows that the specimen was an ovulating female. This latest finding would help the scientists tell at least some dinosaurs’ sexes. Normally, they required well-preserved pelvic bones to distinguish between the different sexes of dinosaurs.

Interestingly, the tests have revealed that the estrogen-derived tissue was similar to substances now present only in living birds that produce eggshells. This finding has linked the dinosaurs with today’s generation of birds. Medullary bone is a calcium-rich layer that develops in the long bones of birds during the egg-laying process. It provides a supply of calcium to form eggshells. The discovery would however not help the scientists to determine the sex of all species of dinosaurs.