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Skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands. PA

Two baby dinosaurs found in tyrannosaur fossil shed light on changing diet

The fossil was originally discovered in Canada’s Alberta Badlands in 2009.

THE REMAINS OF two baby dinosaurs have been discovered inside the fossil of a 75-million-year-old tyrannosaur, shedding new light on the changing diet of the ancient predators.

According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, the hind limbs of two small bird-like dinosaurs called citipes were found beneath the rib cage of a juvenile gorgosaurus, a close cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex.

The researchers behind the study say the discovery suggests juvenile gorgosaurus’ preyed on small, young dinosaurs, while earlier fossil evidence shows the adult gorgosaurus attacked and ate very large plant-eating dinosaurs which lived in herds.

Dr Darla Zelenitsky, one of the lead scientists in the study, told the BBC the discovery is “solid evidence that tyrannosaurs drastically changed their diet as they grew up”.

She said: “We now know that these teenage (tyrannosaurs) hunted small, young dinosaurs.

“These smaller, immature tyrannosaurs were probably not ready to jump into a group of horned dinosaurs, where the adults weighed thousands of kilograms.”

The fossil was originally discovered in Canada’s Alberta Badlands in 2009, but was entombed in rock and took years to be prepared for study.

The initial discovery was made by staff at Alberta’s Royal Tyrell Museum of Palaeontology, who spotted small toe bones protruding from the rib cage.

Dr Francois Therrien, the other lead scientist in the study, told the BBC: “The rock within the ribcage was removed to expose what was hidden inside.

“And lo and behold – the complete hind legs of two baby dinosaurs, both under a year old.”

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    Mute Dissasociated Follower
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    Dec 9th 2023, 7:38 AM

    The researchers behind the study have named the baby dinosaurs “Micheál and Leo”.

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    Mute donal O'brien
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    Dec 9th 2023, 8:15 AM

    @Dissasociated Follower: no they haven’t.

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Dec 9th 2023, 8:48 AM

    @Dissasociated Follower: They probably did eat snakes as well in fairness.

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    Mute Harry Cock
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    Dec 9th 2023, 11:06 AM

    @David Corrigan: Sinn Fein going to be extinct like snakes

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    Mute Keyser Söze
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    Dec 9th 2023, 7:41 AM

    He did well to get a shed built back then.

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    Mute David
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    Dec 9th 2023, 9:18 AM

    Joe Biden sponsors mass murder!!!

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    Mute Joe Mc Dermott
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    Dec 9th 2023, 9:23 AM

    @David: China did the same for a resolution on Ukraine

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    Mute David
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    Dec 9th 2023, 7:53 AM

    @David: and their partners in crime The UK abstained

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    Mute David
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    Dec 9th 2023, 9:15 AM

    keep pandering the the israel lobby!!!

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    Mute honey badger
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    Dec 9th 2023, 8:09 AM

    RIP Ryan O’Neal.
    Barry Lyndon is one of the greatest films ever made.

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    Mute donal O'brien
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    Dec 9th 2023, 8:19 AM

    @honey badger: no it wasn’t, it was too long and a bit boring.

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    Mute honey badger
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    Dec 9th 2023, 9:04 AM

    @donal O’brien: I’ve reported your comment Donal. Outrageous nonsense.

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    Mute CP
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    Dec 9th 2023, 9:31 AM

    @Peter Murray: no they won’t : )

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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Dec 9th 2023, 10:48 AM

    @CP: And they weren’t.

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    Mute David
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    Dec 9th 2023, 11:03 AM

    @Peter Murray: The Yellow stalker has spoken…again.
    Where’s Felix and your other cohort of alter ego’s!

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    Mute David
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    Dec 9th 2023, 11:04 AM

    @Peter Murray: 8000+ innocent children murdered under direct supervision of the USA and it’s cronies!

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    Mute Wombleman
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    Dec 9th 2023, 7:35 AM

    Those Tyrannosaurs are full of unvetted dinosaurs of fighting age.

    Their bellies are full, close the late Cretaceous period.

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    Mute Dissasociated Follower
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    Dec 9th 2023, 8:09 AM

    @David: USA’s veto is disgusting and peoples apathy to what’s happening is also disgusting. The US veto is a vote in favour of continuing to kill thousands of children for God sake. Why aren’t more people outraged by this?

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    Mute kevin garvey
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    Dec 9th 2023, 9:50 AM

    They will say the same about our diet in a million years they used to eat other animals and then went vegan

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    Mute David
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    Dec 9th 2023, 9:14 AM

    @ the Journal…you are a total disgrace!

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    Mute S Badger
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    Dec 9th 2023, 10:15 AM

    I didnt know fossils has shed. Fascinating. Punctuation is important.

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    Mute S Badger
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    Dec 9th 2023, 10:16 AM

    @S Badger: so is spelling correctly. My apologies. *had sheds

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    Mute David
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    Dec 9th 2023, 8:39 AM

    @Dissasociated Follower: I think most people are outraged (with the exception of the xenophobes and the anti Islamic haters).

    I read posts here during the week of people turning their back on what is happening in favour of multinational capitalists.

    Karl Marx was spot on, the quest for the mighty $,£,E, will enslave the world and force people into abandoning all their once held principles, simply because they have become trapped by the monetary system.

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    Mute CP
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    Dec 9th 2023, 8:15 AM

    @Bass Boss: what’s this boss?

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    Mute donal O'brien
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    Dec 9th 2023, 8:17 AM

    @CP: Angela Bower

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