A rare adult Tyrannosaurus rex footprint trackway discovered in North Dakota provides a momentous look at Cretaceous behavior, offering researchers a continuous path of movement across the ancient landscape just before the asteroid impact 66.5 million years ago, according to a study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Discovering the Adult T. Rex Trackway in North Dakota
Northglenn High School science teacher and amateur fossil sleuth Kent Hups discovered the trackway in 2025, according to study co-authors. Excavation teams and researchers from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science examined the site, detailing the 7-meter-long trackway in findings published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. While researchers have previously unearthed a relative abundance of skeletal remains, only a couple of isolated footprints attributed to T. rex had ever been found before, located in New Mexico and Montana. This new discovery marks the first and only known footpath made by an adult Tyrannosaurus rex.
Did you know?
Footprints capture a fleeting moment of behavior that bones alone cannot show. According to Tyler Lyson, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, trackways allow researchers to actually follow an animal as it moves across a landscape.
Trackway Measurements and Walking Speed
The newly analyzed trackway preserves four formidable footprints, each measuring about 1 meter long and up to 0.80 meters wide, cemented by calcium carbonate. According to the research team, the track separation points to an average stride length of roughly 4 meters. By analyzing these dimensions, scientists calculated an estimated walking speed of 1.5 to 2 meters per second, translating to roughly 3.3 to 4.5 miles per hour. This speed is considered reasonable for a large animal, coming in at less than twice the average human walking speed.
Preservation Challenges and Future Recovery
Finding tracks and skeletal remains in the same location remains uncommon due to differing preservation conditions and the likelihood of destruction by other living animals. Furthermore, shifting sediments mean footprints do not always mirror the exact morphology of the feet that shaped them. Because of the steep “gumbo” butte nearby, further excavations at the North Dakota site are unlikely, according to the researchers. Fortunately, three of the footprints are scheduled to be airlifted and preserved at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is the newly discovered T. rex trackway?
Researchers extrapolated the age of the North Dakota trackway to 66.5 million years ago, placing it right on the eve of the asteroid strike that devastated non-avian dinosaurs.
Why are T. rex footprints so rare?
While paleontologists have found numerous skeletal remains, footprints require specific preservation conditions and are easily destroyed by other animals or distorted by shifting sediments.
Where will the T. rex footprints be kept?
Three of the four discovered footprints are slated to be airlifted to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for permanent curation and study.
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