A group of researchers is proposing that Tyrannosaurus, the most famous of all dinosaurs, actually includes three species and not just the single T-rex, based on thighbone and tooth variations among dozens of its fossils.
Tyrannosaurus rex, meaning “tyrant lizard king,” has been the sole species of the genus Tyrannosaurus recognized since the dinosaur was first described in 1905.
A team of three researchers led by Baltimore-based independent paleontologist and paleoartist Gregory Paul on Monday said that variations they spotted in an examination of about three dozen Tyrannosaurus fossils warranted the recognition of two additional species: T imperator, meaning “tyrant lizard emperor,”