The Discovery
In 2022, a private individual discovered fossilized dinosaur remains in the badlands of Alberta, Canada. The finder's name is not specified in the source; please check the official notice. Experts from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology collected and prepared the fossil, which was later analyzed at the University of Alberta and described in the Journal of Paleontology.
The fossils belong to an immature specimen of Albertosaurus sarcophagus, a relative of Tyrannosaurus rex that lived during the Late Cretaceous period between 73 and 67 million years ago. Analysis of a limb bone revealed the creature was between eight and eleven years old when it died. This specimen includes jaw fragments, teeth, and part of a leg bone, representing the smallest associated Albertosaurus skull documented to date. During their work, scientists spotted distinct bite marks on the jaw fragments.
What Scientists Found
The tooth marks were located on the surangular and splenial jaw bones. One mark preserved fine grooves made by denticles, which are the small serrations along the edges of theropod teeth. To analyze these features accurately, the team developed a geometric correction method to account for the angle at which teeth move across bone, preventing errors in measuring tooth spacing.
After comparing the corrected measurements against candidates from the region, researchers determined that a dromaeosaurid, commonly known as a raptor, was the most likely source. Because the fossil showed no signs of bone healing, the bite marks occurred around the time of death or shortly afterward, suggesting scavenging rather than an active kill. The potential scavenger was estimated to be between 6.6 and 9.5 feet long—significantly smaller than the 20-foot, 1,175-pound Albertosaurus. However, researchers have not completely ruled out cannibalism by a young Albertosaurus.
Why It Matters
While researchers had previously documented dromaeosaurid bite marks on herbivorous dinosaurs and flying pterosaurs, evidence of them feeding on tyrannosaurids was missing. If confirmed, this fossil represents the very first recorded evidence of a dromaeosaurid scavenging a tyrannosaurid carcass, offering a rare glimpse into prehistoric feeding habits.
Source: dinosaur fossil discovery - BingNews · Published October 10, 2026 · Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash