All articles tagged with #growth rings
A PeerJ study analyzing 17 Tyrannosaurus rex specimens with advanced imaging of leg bones finds growth to full size took about 40 years, far longer than the previous 25-year estimate, reshaping our understanding of T. rex development, its ecological roles, and prompting talk of possible separate species like Nanotyrannus.
A broad analysis of 17 Tyrannosaurus rex specimens indicates the species continued growing for about 40 years, reaching roughly eight tons, with growth rings detected via new imaging methods and a composite growth curve that stitches data from multiple individuals. The findings suggest a longer life history than previously thought and raise questions about whether some well-known fossils belong to related species such as Nanotyrannus.
A large study of 17 tyrannosaur fossils using expanded histology and advanced statistics finds Tyrannosaurus rex reached its adult mass of about eight tons after roughly 40 years, slower and more variable than previously thought. The work uncovers previously overlooked growth rings, suggests a longer subadult phase, and raises questions about whether some specimens (including Jane and Petey) belong to a separate Nanotyrannus-like species, reshaping debates about tyrannosaur growth and diversity.
A peer‑reviewed study analyzing growth rings in 17 T. rex leg bones shows full adult size was reached around ages 35–40, with rapid growth from 14 to 29 and extended growth for at least a decade afterward, implying a longer subadult phase and prompting renewed questions about species boundaries within fossils labeled T. rex.
A new peer-reviewed study of 17 Tyrannosaurus rex fossils used growth rings revealed by polarized light to map year-by-year growth, showing T. rex took 35–40 years to reach full size and grew for four decades to about 8 tons, with an estimated lifespan of 45–50 years. This large dataset yields a revised growth curve and suggests a lengthy juvenile phase may have helped juveniles occupy varied ecological roles before the species became a dominant late-Cretaceous apex predator.
A study of 17 Tyrannosaurus rex fossils using polarized light reveals growth rings showing they grew slowly, not reaching a maximum size of about 8 tons until about 35–40 years old. Growth rings capture only the last 10–20 years of life, but by combining data across ages researchers reconstructed year-by-year growth, finding more variability and suggesting possible taxonomic differences such as Nanotyrannus; the findings revise the dinosaur’s growth timeline and how it occupied various ecological niches.
The lifespan of dinosaurs varied depending on their size, with larger dinosaurs living longer than smaller ones. By studying growth rings in bones, scientists can estimate the age of dinosaurs. It is believed that very large sauropod dinosaurs took about 30 to 35 years to reach maximum size and may have lived for an additional 30 to 50 years. Smaller dinosaurs, such as ornithopods, reached their full size at around four to five years and likely had shorter lifespans. Contrary to previous assumptions, dinosaurs grew rapidly and did not live as long as previously thought.