Overview
- T. rex ancestors migrated from Asia to North America via the Bering land bridge around 70 million years ago, according to a study led by UCL researchers.
- The study used advanced mathematical models combining fossil evidence, evolutionary trees, and paleoclimatic data to reconstruct this migration and evolutionary history.
- Global cooling 92 million years ago likely spurred the rapid growth in size of tyrannosaurids, making them better adapted to cooler climates compared to other dinosaur groups.
- The extinction of carcharodontosaurids 90 million years ago created an ecological opportunity, allowing tyrannosaurids to evolve into dominant apex predators.
- The research suggests undiscovered fossils of T. rex ancestors may still be located in Asia, offering potential for future discoveries.