We no longer present the tyrannosaurus, this gigantic dinosaur which lived 68 to 66 million years ago. One of the largest carnivores to ever live on Earth became extinct along with most other dinosaur species, but close relatives of the super predator still walk the Earth today.
Tyrannosaurus's living relatives are not its direct descendants, but they share common ancestors. All research done so far indicates that the Tyrannosaurus-rex's closest living relatives may well be the chicken and the ostrich.
When collagen extracted from Tyrannosaurus fossils reveals unexpected relationships
In a study published in 2008, researchers successfully extracted proteins from dinosaur bones. Specifically, they detected collagen using mass spectrometry. The researchers then carried out molecular analyzes to compare T-rex collagen with that of living animals.
In total, they found similarities with 21 existing species. This data made it possible to create family trees to try to establish relationships between tyrannosaurs and different groups of animals.
Researchers have come to the conclusion that tyrannosaurs are close to archosaurians. Archosauria is a very large group of animals made up of birds and crocodilians, among others.
Birds and ostriches are closer to T-rex than crocodilians
However, T-rex collagen is more similar to that of birds rather than crocodilians. Birds and ostriches would thus be the closest living relatives of the formidable dinosaur.
The idea that chickens and ostriches were related to tyrannosaurs existed long before this 2008 study. Scientists had already found anatomical similarities based on skeletal data.
This is not a recent discovery. This idea dates back to the 19e century after the discovery of a fossil of the Archeopteryx genus in Germany. These were avian dinosaurs that lived at the end of the Jurassic period 156 to 150 million years ago.
More than “90% probability” that birds are the living relatives of Tyrannosaurus Rex
Archaeopteryx had characteristics of both birds and theropod dinosaurs, that is, bipedal dinosaurs like tyrannosaurs. It was reminiscent of a hybrid between birds and dinosaurs.
The molecular similarities of collagen then came to reinforce this theory. The researchers nevertheless point out that gaps in the data prevent a complete conclusion from being obtained.
“Our results at the genetic level are basically consistent with what has been observed in the skeletal data. There is more than 90% probability that the aggregation of T. rex with live birds is real,” according to John M Asara of Harvard University, author of the study.
Source : IFLScience
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