By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) – Researchers have recently found Asia’s longest Tyrannosaurus femur fossil in China’s eastern province of Shandong with a length of 1.21 meters (nearly 4 feet), China Daily reported on Monday.
Paleontologists from the US and Canada confirmed that this is the longest Tyrannosaurus femur ever discovered in Asia.
The research team also performed high-precision measurements and 3D scans of a Tyrannosaurus vertebra located at the China Tyrannosaurus Hall in the city of Zhucheng, which measured over 28 centimeters in width, comparable to that of the world’s largest known Tyrannosaurus.
Based on the femur's length, scientists inferred that Zhucheng was once inhabited by large Tyrannosaurus rex specimens, with body lengths surpassing 12 meters (nearly 39 feet).
"Further research is needed to confirm whether this large femur fossil belongs to the known Zhuchengtyrannus magnus or not. This lends further credence to the hypothesis that the Tyrannosaurus Rex originated in Asia," said Chen Shuqing from the county's Dinosaur Culture Research Center.
Zhucheng is recognized as China's "city of dinosaurs," consistently setting world records in dinosaur discoveries.
Over 10 dinosaur species have been excavated and named in Zhucheng by organizations such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University, significantly contributing to paleontological research.