Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis reconstruction (by Sergey Krasovskiy)
For one Harrisburg University professor, the dinosaur hits keep coming—and this is the biggest one yet.
On Monday, HU reported that Dr. Steven Jasinski had identified and described a new species of large, predatory dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis, which is related to the iconic Tyrannosaurus rex.
In the journal, “Scientific Reports,” Jasinski and several other researchers joined forces to describe the unique characteristics of the dinosaur and its significance in the late Cretaceous period, according to HU.
Jasinski has been describing and naming dinosaur finds for years. In a 2021 interview with TheBurg, he said he had named seven dinosaurs and was hopeful there would be many more to come.
“We are kind of only scratching the surface,” Jasinski said at the time. “We have at least several thousand more that we could and should be able to find.”
He estimated that 1,100 to 1,200 dinosaurs had been named in all until that point.
The newly described species, Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis, lived about 70 million years ago in what is now New Mexico. It had a massive head and sharp teeth, reaching lengths of 35 to 40 feet.
The dinosaur’s fossil bones were initially discovered in 1984, but remained partially underwater until 2002, when a drop in lake water allowed additional recovery, according to HU.
Further research tied the specimen to a group closely related to T. rex, but predating it considerably.
“As we continue to explore these areas, collect more fossils, and study those already in museum collections, our understanding of the diversity of the dinosaur fauna of North America, particularly in the late Cretaceous, will continue to grow,” Jasinski said.
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