Overview
- Published in PeerJ, the study analyzed 17 tyrannosaur fossils, with leg bones providing the most reliable growth records.
- Including faint rings previously overlooked, researchers estimate T. rex reached adult size at 35–40 years and typically weighed around nine tonnes.
- The revised growth curve implies a lifespan of roughly 45–50 years, replacing earlier estimates near 30 years.
- Year-to-year growth was highly variable, which the authors propose reflects shifts in food availability.
- By combining specimens of different ages and refining bone-histology methods, the work offers a framework to reassess growth in other dinosaur species.