A team of Moroccan and international scientists has uncovered the remains of "relatives of the deadly T-Rex," which became extinct 66 million years ago, marking the end of the dinosaur era.
About the archaeologists
Nick Longrich, a paleontologist from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom, revealed in a study published in the Cretaceous Research journal, which focuses on fossils from the Cretaceous period, that "the remains discovered in Morocco belong to the second most dangerous dinosaurs to have existed on Earth."
The study also noted that the fossils were found during excavations near Jadida in Morocco, along the Atlantic Ocean coast. Longrich tweeted that the T-Rex remains discovered mark the fifth type found in the Muslim country.
New carnivorous dinosaurs from the late Maastrichtian (66 Mya) of Morocco. Three different species of abelisaurid, short-snouted, short-armed cousins of the tyrannosaurs, appear to coexist just before the asteroid hit. https://t.co/0NNKhVe13I pic.twitter.com/eaGuBKnqih
— Nick Longrich (@NickLongrich) August 23, 2023
"These discoveries will unlock invaluable scientific information about the African continent's Jurassic period, a time when the planet witnessed the extinction of its largest creatures," he concluded.