Because of the variations on thighbones and teeth among T. rex fossils, a group of three researchers proposed to split the tyrannosaurus genus into three species. Alongside the lone T. rex (which means "tyrant lizard king"), the two new species proposed are T. imperator ("tyrant lizard emperor) and T. regina ("tyrant lizard queen"). Gregory Paul, the lead author of the study, knew that his conclusions were controversial, and he was right.
Other paleontologists disagreed with Paul's conclusions, with one stating that the variations that the study found were "very minor" and do not indicate "meaningful biological separation." Another paleontologist argued that the variations in the thighbones and teeth are not enough; differences should be present in most (if not all) of the body parts — especially in the head.
(Image Credit: REUTERS/ Philippe Wojazer)
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