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Inside the Hell Creek dig: a season with the Tyrannosaurus team
Field notes, daily routines, and the surprising paleontology breakthroughs uncovered at one of the most active dinosaur dig sites in North America.
Dr. Mira Chen · 12 min read
Junior Paleontologist · Progression
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Track every museum, exhibit, park and event you've explored. Learn species, finish scavenger hunts, and unlock paleo badges.
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Species library
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Tyrannosaurus rex
Late Cretaceous · Carnivore
T. rex had the strongest bite of any land animal — about 12,800 lbs of force.
- How paleontologists estimate bite force from skull shape
- Why tiny arms didn't slow T. rex down
- How feathers may have covered juveniles
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Triceratops
Late Cretaceous · Herbivore
Its frill wasn't just armor — it likely showed off to mates and rivals.
- How horns and frills evolved as display structures
- What tooth wear tells us about plant diets
- Why Triceratops grew so massive so fast
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Velociraptor
Late Cretaceous · Carnivore
Real Velociraptors were turkey-sized and covered in feathers.
- Quill knobs — the bone evidence for feathers
- How sickle claws were used to pin prey
- The link between dromaeosaurs and modern birds
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Stegosaurus
Late Jurassic · Herbivore
Stegosaurus had a brain the size of a walnut — about 80 g.
- What back plates were really for (display vs. cooling)
- How the tail spikes (the 'thagomizer') worked
- Where Jurassic herbivores fit in the food web
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Brachiosaurus
Late Jurassic · Herbivore
Its heart had to pump blood up a 30-ft neck — a engineering marvel.
- How sauropods supported their massive bodies
- Why long necks beat short ones for browsing
- How fossil tracks reveal herd behavior
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Spinosaurus
Mid Cretaceous · Piscivore
Spinosaurus is the only known semi-aquatic dinosaur — it likely swam.
- Bone density as evidence for swimming
- How its sail may have helped with display
- Why North African river deltas were dino-rich
Dinosaur timeline
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Triassic
252–201 mya
Dinosaurs first appear; small & nimble.
Jurassic
201–145 mya
Giants roam — sauropods, stegosaurs, early birds.
Cretaceous
145–66 mya
Peak diversity: T. rex, Triceratops, Velociraptor.
Curated editorial
T-RexLong-reads, paleontologist interviews and field-dispatch deep dives — exclusive to T-Rex members. Free Learn articles stay available to everyone.
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Why feathered dinosaurs changed everything — and what museums get wrong
A behind-the-glass look at how curators are quietly rebuilding two decades of exhibit science around the feathered-dino consensus.
Caleb Ortega · 9 min read
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What survived the K-Pg event: lineages, luck, and the small-mammal advantage
Long-form paleo deep dive on extinction survivors, with comparisons to modern conservation parallels.
Prof. Yusuf Anand · 18 min read
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Plan a paleontology vacation: 7 lesser-known US dig-site experiences
Field-tested family itineraries, lodging notes, and parent-tested age recommendations for hands-on dig site visits.
Editorial Desk · 7 min read
Explorer journal
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