Palaeontology

Newly discovered 'Dragon Prince' dinosaur is a close relative of T. rex

By T.K. Randall
June 17, 2025

Image: Tyrannosaurus Rex Holotype
Credit: ScottRobertAnselmo / CC BY-SA 3.0 (adapted) The two fossil specimens, which had been kept at a museum in Mongolia, have now been identified as a completely new species of tyrannosauroid and a direct relative of Tyrannousaurs rex.

The new species has been named Khankhuuluu ( or Dragon Prince of Mongolia ).

This discovery is especially significant as it offers a rare glimpse into the evolutionary journey of tyrannosaurs - from small, agile predators to the colossal apex hunters of the Cretaceous period.

Khankhuuluu itself was certainly a long way from Tyrannosaurus rex."They were these really small, fleet-footed predators that lived in the shadows of other apex predatory dinosaurs," said co-lead researcher and PhD student Jared Voris.

"We see features in its nasal bone that eventually gave tyrannosaurs those very powerful bite forces."

To put things into perspective, Khankhuuluu weighed around 750g - approximately 8 times less than Tyrannousaurs rex.

"It has helped us revise the tyrannosaur family tree and rewrite what we know about the evolution of tyrannosaurs," said study lead author Prof Darla Zelenitsky of the University of Calgary in Canada.

"This discovery shows us that, before tyrannosaurs became the kings, they were princes."

Source: BBC News

Tags: Dinosaur