Newly Discovered Dinosaur in Mongolia Sheds Light on Tyrannosaur Evolution

Scientists have identified a new dinosaur species, Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, from skeletons found in a Mongolian museum collection. Dating back 86 million years, this species is now considered the closest known ancestor of all tyrannosaurs, including the famous T. rex. The discovery, published in Nature, significantly reshapes the understanding of tyrannosaur evolution, offering new insights into how these predators rose to dominate ecosystems in North America and Asia before the dinosaurs went extinct.