Tyrannosaur fossil shows dinosaurs were cannibals that ate their relatives

WorldEnvironment
6 May 2026 • 5:11 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Tyrannosaur fossil shows dinosaurs were cannibals that ate their relatives

  • A new fossil discovery suggests that some tyrannosaur species were opportunistic scavengers, even consuming the remains of their larger T. rex relatives.
  • Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark identified 16 precise bite marks on a massive tyrannosaur foot bone, dating back approximately 75 million years.
  • The bite marks indicate a smaller tyrannosaur fed on the corpse of a significantly larger relative, demonstrating they ate down to the last scraps.
  • The study, published in Evolving Earth by Josephine Nielsen, found no signs of healing on the bone, confirming the marks were from late-stage carcass consumption.
  • This discovery highlights that tyrannosaurs did not let resources go to waste, consuming even tough bones with little decaying meat.

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