North Dakota discovery reveals first adult T. rex trackway

A high school science teacher, Kent Hups, has discovered the first known trackway of an adult Tyrannosaurus rex in the Hell Creek Formation of North Dakota. The find, detailed in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, consists of a sequence of four large, three-toed footprints preserved as sandstone casts.

Unlike skeletal remains, these ichnofossils provide rare insights into the living mechanics and behavior of the apex predator. Digital reconstructions and measurements indicate the dinosaur was moving at a speed of approximately 1.5 to 2 meters per second, which is comparable to a brisk human walking pace.

Researchers, including Tyler Lyson of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, noted that while individual adult T. rex prints are extremely rare, a complete trackway allows scientists to study stride length and foot placement. The tracks were preserved through a geological process where soft sediment was filled by sand and later cemented by calcium carbonate, protecting them from the erosion that typically destroys such traces in the region.