Tyrannosaurus rex is arguably the most infamous of the dinosaurs, renowned for its enormous teeth, teeny arms, and gargantuan size – but just how big did it get? The largest specimen ever found was discovered in Canada, weighed an astonishing 8,800 kilograms (19,400 pounds), and was nicknamed “Scotty”.
Originally discovered in 1991, Scotty was trapped in hard sandstone for a decade before its remains could be excavated, assembled, and its record-breaking proportions revealed. Eventually, in 2019, palaeontologists published their findings: Scotty measured a whopping 13 meters (43 feet) in length and weighed the equivalent of 20 grand pianos – it was an absolute unit.
“This is the rex of rexes,” Scott Persons, lead author of the study announcing the results, said in a statement at the time.
“There is considerable size variability among Tyrannosaurus. Some individuals were lankier than others and some were more robust. Scotty exemplifies the robust. Take careful measurements of its legs, hips, and even shoulder, and Scotty comes out a bit heftier than other T. rex specimens.”
The fossil was unearthed in Saskatchewan, Canada, and was around 65 percent complete, including the skull and hips, along with some ribs, leg bones, and tail bones. It’s thought Scotty – named after the bottle of scotch drunk to celebrate its discovery – made it to at least 28 years old, making it something of an OAP by dinosaur standards.
The ancient behemoth roamed the Canadian landscape some 66 million years ago, and lived a colorful life, according to Persons.
“By Tyrannosaurus standards, it had an unusually long life. And it was a violent one. Riddled across the skeleton are pathologies – spots where scarred bone records large injuries.”
These include a broken rib, an infected jaw, and broken tailbones, possibly maimed by another T. rex.
Earlier this year, a study revealed the true extent of Scotty’s turbulent past: X-rays of the tyrannosaur’s rib showed a healed fracture, possibly due to a fight with another dinosaur. The researchers examined preserved blood vessel structures inside the rib, which appear to show evidence that the bone was healing.
At the time of its discovery, the fearsome beastie was the largest terrestrial predator known to science – a whole 10 meters (33 feet) taller than the largest land predator alive today.
However, a 2024 paper, which used computer modeling to estimate the size of dinosaurs like T. rex, suggested the king of dinosaurs may have been 70 percent heavier and 25 percent longer than the fossil record indicates. This means dinosaurs that weighed 15,000 kilograms (33,000 pounds) and measured 15 meters (49 feet) long could have walked the Earth – Scotty would have been a tiddler in comparison.
“I think there will always be bigger discoveries to be made,” Persons acknowledged – it remains to be seen if a larger specimen is indeed out there.
You can visit Scotty – or the replica of Scotty, as its bones remain available for scientific study – at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.
Other incredible T. rex discoveries in recent years include Barbara, a 66-million-year-old terrible lizard who was probably pregnant when she died and had a common footballing injury; SUE, one of the best preserved tyrannosaur fossils ever found; and, of course, Stan, who became the most expensive fossil ever sold (at time of auction, at least) when he was snapped up for $31.8 million back in 2020.
Source Link: Meet Scotty, The Biggest T. Rex Ever Found Aka The “Rex Of Rexes”
