News
Tyrannosaur’s last meal was two baby dinosaurs
The last meal of a 75-million-year-old Tyrannosaur has been revealed by scientists – two baby Dinosaurs.
Researchers say the preservation of the animal – and of the small, unfortunate creatures it ate – shines new light on how these predators lived.
It is “solid evidence that tyrannosaurs drastically changed their diet as they grew up,” said Dr Darla Zelenitsky, from the University of Calgary.
The specimen is a juvenile Gorgosaurus – a close cousin of the giant T. rex.
This particular Gorgosaur was around seven years old – equivalent to a teenager in terms of its development. It weighed about 330kg when it died – about a tenth of the weight of a fully-grown adult.
The hind limbs of two, small bird-like dinosaurs called Citipes are visible beneath its rib cage.
“We now know that these teenage [Tyrannosaurs] hunted small, young dinosaurs,” said Dr Zelenitsky, one of the lead scientists in this study, which published in the journal Science Advances.
An array of earlier fossil evidence, including evident bite marks on the bones of larger dinosaurs that match tyrannosaur teeth, have allowed scientists to build a picture of how the three-tonne adult Gorgosaurs attacked and ate very large plant-eating dinosaurs which lived in herds.
Dr Francois Therrien, from the Royal Tyrell Museum of Palaeontology, described these adult tyrannosaurs as “quite indiscriminate eaters”. They probably pounced on large prey, “biting through bone and scraping off flesh,” he told BBC News.
But, Dr Zelenitsky, added, “these smaller, immature tyrannosaurs were probably not ready to jump into a group of horned dinosaurs, where the adults weighed thousands of kilograms”.
‘Toes poking through the ribcage’
The fossil was originally discovered in the Alberta Badlands in 2009 – a hotspot for dinosaur hunters.
Entombed in rock, it took years to prepare and it wasn’t immediately obvious that there was prey inside. Staff at Alberta’s Royal Tyrell Museum of Palaeontology eventually noticed small toe-bones sticking out from the ribcage.
“The rock within the ribcage was removed to expose what was hidden inside,” explained Dr Therrien, who is the other lead scientist in this study. “And lo and behold – the complete hind legs of two baby dinosaurs, both under a year old.”
Dr Zelenitsky said that finding only the legs suggested that this teenage Gorgosaurus “seems to have wanted the drumsticks – probably because that’s the meatiest part”.
The Gorgosaurus is a slightly smaller, more ancient species than T. Rex. Fully grown, these were – as Dr Therrien put it – “big, burly tyrannosaurs”.
They transformed as they matured. “Juveniles were much more lightly built – with longer legs and very blade-like teeth,” he explained. “Adults’ teeth are all much rounder – we call them ‘killer bananas’. “This specimen is unique – it’s physical proof of the juveniles’ very different feeding strategy.
While the adults bit and scraped with their powerful “killer banana” teeth, “this animal was selecting and even dissecting its prey – biting off the legs and swallowing them whole”.
Prof Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist from the University of Edinburgh and the National Museum of Scotland, said that seeing prey in the dinosaur’s guts gave a real insight into the animals: “They weren’t just monsters, they were real, living things and pretty sophisticated feeders.”
Recalling a depiction of T. rex in the 1993 film Jurassic Park – where the giant dinosaur chased a car through the fictional theme park – Prof Brusatte added: “A big, adult T. rex wouldn’t have chased after a car – if cars or jeeps were around back then – its body was too big, and it couldn’t move that fast.
“It would be the youngsters – like this gorgosaur – the children of T. rex that you’d have to keep an eye on.”
(BBC)
The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued landslide early warnings to the districts of Gampaha, Kalutara and Ratnapura valid untill 0300 hrs on 23rd May 2026.
Accordingly,
Level II landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Attanagalla in the Gampaha district and Ratnapura and Kuruvita in the Ratnapura district.
Level I landslide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Bulathsinghala in the Kalutara district and Eheliyagoda in the Ratnapura district.
The President’s Fund has expressed its attention towards providing a monthly scholarship allowance for school-going children of low-income lottery sellers, as a means of supporting their educational needs.
This was revealed during a discussion held om Wednesday (20) at the Presidential Secretariat between the Secretary to the President’s Fund and Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Roshan Gamage and officials of the National Lotteries Board and the Development Lotteries Board.
The President’s Fund currently provides financial assistance across a wide range of sectors to support low-income groups, while also implementing various scholarship schemes for schoolchildren. As an additional step, approval has reportedly been granted by the governing board of the President’s Fund to extend scholarships to children of low-income lottery sellers.
It was noted that the National Lotteries Board and Development Lotteries Board make a significant contribution to the President’s Fund. However, discussions also highlighted the fact that the living conditions of lottery sellers, who play a key role in generating revenue for these institutions, have remained largely unchanged. Accordingly, attention has been directed towards recognising their contribution and providing relief to ease their financial burden.
The proposal to introduce scholarships for school-going children of low-income lottery sellers through the President’s Fund was discussed in detail. Officials of both the National Lotteries Board and the Development Lotteries Board expressed their willingness to support the initiative. It was also decided that the programme would be implemented expeditiously through Divisional Secretariats.
Among those present were Chairman of the National Lotteries Board M. D. C. Anton Perera, General Manager of the National Lotteries Board A. M. Arif, and General Manager of the Development Lotteries Board W. K. A. A. Jayarathne, along with other officials.
(PMD)
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Showers above 200 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts.
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 22 MAY 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 22 May 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
The South-West monsoon is gradually getting established over the island and the current rainy conditions over the south-western parts of the island are expected to continue further for the next few hours.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Very heavy showers above 200 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces. Heavy showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Several spells of showers will occur in the Northern province and in Anuradhapura district while showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 pm.
Fairly strong winds about (35-45) kmph can be expected at times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers
Landslide early warnings issued to the Districts of Gampaha, Kalutara and Ratnapura
President’s Fund to consider scholarships for children of low-income lottery sellers
Showers above 200 mm are likely at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and showers above 100 mm are likely at some places in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts.
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