Dinosaur Bones found in Bonneville County belong to T-Rex

An Idaho State University professor discovered bones in Bonneville County that belonged to a Tyrannosaurus Rex relative. According to a news release from ISU, L.J. Krumenacker, an adjunct professor of geosciences, discovered a femur bone that he claims is the earliest Cretaceous-age tyrannosaur bone recovered in North America.

This fossil demonstrates that a variety of tyrannosaurs existed in western North America approximately 100 million years ago, far before these creatures became the main predators near the end of the Dinosaur Bones era,” Krumenacker adds in the press release. Krumenacker, who is also an affiliate curator at the Idaho Museum of Natural History, wrote a paper on the discovery in the Journal of Paleontology. In the Caribou Mountains, the finding was made.

In the announcement, Krumenacker states, “Southeastern Idaho offers a lot of potential for new discoveries of ancient life from the period of Dinosaur and other times in history.” “We’ve discovered a lot of fossil pieces that suggest there’s still a lot more old Dinosaur and other species from Idaho to uncover and learn more about,” says the researcher. The animal weighed roughly 100 pounds, according to the size of the fragmentary femur bone recovered by Krumenacker. It’s thought to be connected to a tyrannosaur whose skeleton was discovered in Utah.

The fossil is now being examined in North Carolina. However, it will be permanently housed in the Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello. “Idaho Dinosaur,” a 2023 exhibit, will display it. According to the press announcement, the museum is commissioning a Dinosaur reconstruction for the display. Brandon Peecook museum curator said that this new tyrannosaur is a reminder that scientific discovery is continuous.” “We’re pleased to display the public the new specimen, not just as a fascinating fossil but also as a source of data for future research into the history of life,” says the museum.