Overview
- The study, published May 21, 2026, formally describes a new mosasaur species called Tylosaurus rex from roughly 80-million-year-old fossils largely recovered in North Texas.
- Researchers estimate the animal reached about 13.2 meters (43 feet) and identified finely serrated teeth plus skeletal features for strong jaw and neck muscles that point to a different feeding style than related mosasaurs.
- The paper reassigns multiple museum specimens formerly labeled Tylosaurus proriger, names a 1979 holotype now on display at the Perot Museum, and retitles well-known mounts such as 'Bunker' and 'Sophie' as T. rex.
- Several specimens show healed and unhealed injuries, including a broken jaw and missing snout tip on a specimen called 'The Black Knight,' which authors interpret as evidence of intraspecific violence or aggressive interactions.
- Beyond naming a new species, the team published a revised character dataset for mosasaur phylogenetics and noted that museum collections and citizen scientists in North Texas were crucial to reshaping views of mosasaur evolution.