Tyrannosaurus Rex Trackway Found in North Dakota Badlands

A rare fossil discovery in North Dakota is giving scientists a new look at adult Tyrannosaurus behavior. Paleontologists have identified the first known trackway made by a full-grown Tyrannosaurus rex. The trackway contains four connected footprints in the badlands of southwestern North Dakota. The finding is important because footprints can show movement in ways that dinosaur bones cannot. Scientists can study the spacing and direction of footprints to understand how an animal moved.

Tyrannosaurus Trackway Found in North Dakota

The trackway was found in 2025 on U.S. Forest Service land near Marmarth, North Dakota. The location is close to the Montana border. Kent Hups, a high school teacher and amateur fossil hunter, found the tracks. He was volunteering during one of paleontologist Tyler Lyson’s field projects. The trackway stretches for about 23 feet. It contains four large, three-toed footprints. Each footprint measures around three feet long. Researchers studied the distance between the prints to estimate the dinosaur’s walking speed. Their analysis suggests the animal moved at about 3.5 to 4.5 miles per hour. The dinosaur may have weighed more than seven tons.

Why the Discovery Is Important

Before this finding, scientists had confirmed only two isolated adult T. rex footprints. One was found in New Mexico. The other was found in Montana. Those footprints provided useful evidence. However, they could not show how an adult dinosaur moved. The new trackway gives researchers a much better opportunity. Four connected prints create a short record of movement across an ancient landscape. Dr. Tyler Lyson said footprints can capture a moment of animal behavior. A connected trackway can show how the animal moved through its environment. This makes the discovery especially valuable for dinosaur research.

How Scientists Identified the T. Rex Tracks

Researchers identified the tracks using several clues. The size and shape of the footprints matched what scientists would expect from a large tyrannosaur. The surrounding rock also contains many tyrannosaur fossils. The same badlands have produced other important dinosaur remains. These include a juvenile specimen known as “Teen Rex.” Scientists also created a 3D scan of the trackway. Researchers at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science helped scan the site.

Peter Falkingham of Liverpool John Moores University analyzed the digital data. He also led the scientific paper about the discovery.

The Tracks Are About 66.5 Million Years Old

The footprints date to around 66.5 million years ago. They come from the Hell Creek Formation. This rock formation is famous for fossils from the final part of the Cretaceous Period. That timing makes the discovery even more interesting. The tracks were made shortly before the end of the dinosaur age. Scientists believe a massive asteroid impact played a major role in the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs.

The trackway may therefore represent one of the final known walks of an adult Tyrannosaurus.

What the Footprints Tell Scientists

Fossil bones can reveal many details about dinosaur bodies. They can show size, structure and injuries. Footprints provide a different type of evidence. They can reveal movement, walking direction and estimated speed. Multiple footprints can also help scientists understand how an animal moved across its surroundings. In this case, the spacing between the footprints helped researchers estimate the dinosaur’s walking speed. The evidence suggests the massive predator was walking rather than running. Its estimated speed was between 3.5 and 4.5 miles per hour. This gives researchers another clue about how adult T. rex moved.

Some Tracks Will Be Moved to a Museum

Three of the four footprints are expected to be removed from the site this fall. Researchers plan to airlift them by helicopter. The tracks will then be taken to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Moving the fossils will allow scientists and visitors to study them in a protected setting. The discovery also shows the value of careful field observation. Hups found the trackway while volunteering during a scientific excavation. His find highlights how important fossil sites can be for both professional researchers and trained fossil hunters.

A Rare Look at Adult T. Rex Movement

The new trackway adds an important piece to the study of Tyrannosaurus rex. Scientists have found many T. rex bones over the years. However, connected adult footprints are extremely rare. This discovery provides physical evidence of an adult animal moving across the ground. It also gives researchers a chance to compare track evidence with fossil bones from the same region. The finding does not answer every question about T. rex movement. However, it gives scientists new evidence about the behavior of one of history’s most famous dinosaurs.

For dinosaur research, that makes the North Dakota trackway a significant discovery.