Two young brothers and their cousin were exploring a place in North Dakota where lots of old fossils are found. They were amazed when they found a T. rex bone sticking out of the ground.
They shared their discovery in a Zoom meeting, and soon, workers at a museum in Denver will carefully remove the fossil from the rock where it’s stuck. This fossil will be part of a special exhibit called Discovering Teen Rex, opening on June 21, along with a new movie about the find.
The adventure began when Kaiden Madsen, who was 9 at the time, went hiking with his cousins Liam and Jessin Fisher, who were 7 and 10. Their dad, Sam Fisher, likes hiking, so they often explore together.
During their hike, Liam and his dad spotted the bone of a young T. rex. This dinosaur lived about 67 million years ago and was buried in a place called the Hell Creek Formation, known for its well-preserved T. rex fossils.
At first, Liam thought the bone was just a small piece of fossil. But his dad took a picture and showed it to a friend who works with fossils. This friend realized it might be something special and organized a dig.
The excavation started last summer, and the boys, along with their sister Emalynn, joined the team. They quickly found more bones, including part of the jaw with teeth. A documentary crew captured the excitement of the discovery.
The fossil, nicknamed “The Brothers” by the boys, is estimated to be from a T. rex that was 13 to 15 years old and weighed about 3,500 pounds when it died. It was airlifted by a helicopter to the Denver museum for further study.
While they’re still figuring out how complete the fossil is, experts have found parts of the leg, hip, pelvis, tailbones, and a good chunk of the skull. The museum plans to let the public watch as they carefully remove the rock around the fossil, which could take about a year.
Jessin, who loves Jurassic Park movies and wants to be a paleontologist, continues to search for fossils. His advice to other kids is to explore outside and enjoy nature, leaving their electronic devices behind.