"Trix" Specimens of Tyrannosaurus

in 2013, team of paleontologists naturalis biodiversity center (leiden, netherlands) traveled usa; montana , discovered , unearthed big , remarkably complete tyrannosaurus rex specimen lived 66 million years ago. black hills institute collaborated team in excavation. bones cleaned , assembled in mount @ black hills institute s installations, of both chicago s field museum of natural history , naturalis leiden museum. chicago s field museum sent digital models of famous specimen, fmnh pr 2081 (sue) complete cast , naturalis museum replicated bones using 3d printing technology. specimen named trix after former netherlands queen beatrix, , on public display since september 10, 2016 @ room of naturalis museum open public, due fact museum undergoing restoration. trix stay there until june 2017, , travel on international tour find new permanent home @ naturalis museum once museum s restoration ends @ late 2018.

trix

description: according peter larson, director of black hills institute; trix second complete tyrannosaurus found. between 75% , 80% of bone s volume has been recovered.

due large size , robust build, has been suggested belongs robust morphotype, existence of these categories has been doubted , debated several times. bhi classified trix female, since , several sources theorize higher robustness indicative of belonging female gender. decision use replicas sue filling several missing body parts such feet, made due sue being same length, robusticity, , fact both have been estimated old tyrannosaurus. estimates suggest sizes 12 (39.5 ft) 12,5 meters in length (41 ft).

trix s age has been estimated counting growth lines in bones. 2 different methods used this; xray microtomography, can done without damaging bones, , small hole drilled in fibula allow comparison results of x-ray based technique. study carried out in collaboration belgian researcher free university of brussels, , attached royal belgian institute natural history. growth lines numerous, , difficult distinguish. these facts alongside roughness , rugosity of skull indications individual had reached old age t. rex; in case @ least thirty years, opposed sue s 28 years old (she oldest rex found until now), making trix oldest tyrannosaurus known

trix being presented in unique, low ground pose allows feature actual skull instead of replica, has required substantial amount of support can’t achieved more traditional pose. tyrannosaurus specimen alongside mor 980 (peck s rex) in mount includes real skull fossilized bones.

diseases:

during excavation, palaeontologists found indications of variety of disorders , damage bones. these suggest during long life, tyrannosaurus survived number of illnesses , suffered various injuries. right lower leg bone , 1 of ribs show evidence of distorted growth, suggesting fracture or infection. jaws suffered considerable damage. experienced infection in right upper jaw , there open section in left lower jaw. may have been caused male t. rex during mating, or may result of fight. other clues suggest combat other t. rex recovered bite wound on right upper jaw, , series of partially healed scratch marks on left upper jaw. last of these injuries suffered few weeks prior death. sacrum , first vertebra show uneven development suggest either birth defect or injury suffered @ young age. number of other inconsistencies discovered in caudal vertebrae.