T. rex trackway discovery reveals adult dinosaur walking patterns

Paleontologists have discovered the first known trackway belonging to an adult Tyrannosaurus rex in the Hell Creek Formation of North Dakota. The discovery, made by high school science teacher Kent Haps during a volunteer excavation, provides rare insight into the movement and behavior of the apex predator.

The seven-meter trackway consists of four footprints, indicating the dinosaur moved at a pace of approximately 1.5 to 2 meters per second, comparable to a brisk human walking gait. Unlike skeletal remains, which provide anatomical data, these tracks capture a specific moment of behavior, allowing researchers to study foot positioning and stride length.

Dr. Tyler Leyson of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science noted that while bones reveal much about these animals, trackways allow scientists to follow an animal as it moved through its landscape. Lead author Dr. Peter Falkingham of Liverpool John Moores University added that age significantly influences walking mechanics, noting that younger and older dinosaurs moved differently, much like humans.