DENVER (KDVR) — Details about the juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex fossil discovered by three boys in North Dakota are beginning to take shape at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, including its size, age and how its body worked.
The T. rex fossil, affectionately named the “Teen Rex” because of its possible age, was discovered in the summer of 2023. Juvenile T. rex fossils are rare, according to the museum, which said there have been only a handful found in the world.
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In June the science museum opened its “ Discovering Teen Rex ” exhibit, which is temporary. Inside the exhibit, visitors can see the meticulous process of uncovering and studying fossils, as well as ask scientists questions as more bones are uncovered from field jackets.
Initially, T. rex bones found in 2023, which included parts of the skull, tail, leg and hip, were rapped in a plaster jacket and transported to Denver. Scientists estimated the juvenile dinosaur’s dimensions at about 25 feet long and with its plaster jacket, weighed about 6,000 pounds. Paleontologists said they believe the actual dinosaur weighed about 3,500 pounds and was alive millions of years ago.