T. Rex’s ‘Great-Uncle’ Unearthed in British Columbia

Researchers from the University of Alberta and McGill University identified a tyrannosaur skull impression discovered in a British Columbia campground as belonging to Gorgosaurus, a relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex that lived approximately 76 million years ago. Rick Lambert, a British Columbia resident, found the unusual rock formation in Tumbler Ridge in 2017 while hiking, recognizing its potential as a fossil due to a childhood spent fossil hunting in England.

Though much of the bone material had eroded, the preserved impression allowed scientists to create a detailed cast and identify unique characteristics linking it to Gorgosaurus libratus. The species, which could grow to nine metres long, was lighter and faster than the T. rex, possessing triangular horns above its eyes and potentially using incisiform teeth for precise cuts of flesh as a juvenile.

The discovery extends the known range of Gorgosaurus to approximately 198,000 square kilometres, stretching from British Columbia into Montana, and suggests British Columbia holds promise for future paleontological finds.