Rare T. Rex Trackway Discovered by High School Teacher Reveals How the Giant Actually Moved

Paleontologists have uncovered an exceptionally rare window into the life of a Tyrannosaurus rex: a 66.5-million-year-old series of four fossilized footprints discovered within the Hell Creek Formation in North Dakota. While scientists have previously identified individual tracks attributed to the iconic predator, this marks the first time an entire sequence of prints has been documented, providing a fleeting glimpse into the actual movement of an adult T. rex.

The discovery, detailed in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, offers a perspective that skeletal remains alone cannot provide. By analyzing the stride and spacing of these prints, researchers estimate the dinosaur was traveling at a steady, leisurely pace of approximately 3.5 to 4.5 miles per hour—a speed comparable to a brisk human walk.

An Unprecedented Glimpse of Prehistoric Movement

The trackway spans roughly 23 feet (7 meters), featuring four distinct three-toed impressions, each measuring about 3 feet (0.9 meters) in length. With a stride length of approximately 13 feet (4 meters) between the prints, the site provides a rare, tangible record of behavior preserved in the rock record. The discovery was made on federal land managed by the U.S. Forest Service near Marmarth, North Dakota.

Researchers from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Liverpool John Moores University confirmed the identity of the track-maker by comparing the impressive scale and specific morphology of the toes against the known dinosaur population of the region. Despite significant weathering of the ancient sediment, the team concluded that no other creature from the Hell Creek Formation shares the specific foot characteristics of a T. rex.

“Bones tell us an enormous amount about these animals, but footprints capture a moment of behavior,” noted Tyler Lyson, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, who spearheaded the excavation. “With a trackway, we can actually follow an animal as it moved across the landscape. That is incredibly rare for T. rex.”

Leveraging Modern Technology for Global Analysis

The documentation process utilized advanced high-resolution 3D surface scanning, led by museum researcher Evan Tamez-Galvan. This digital mapping allowed for a collaborative study that spanned continents. Lead author Peter Falkingham, a professor of paleobiology at Liverpool John Moores University, was able to analyze the prints in virtual reality and high-definition detail without ever leaving the United Kingdom.

The discovery itself highlights the value of keen observation in the field. It was initially spotted by Kent M. Hups, a high school science teacher whose dedication to amateur exploration resulted in a major contribution to the field. Hups now serves as a co-author on the official research paper.

Plans are currently underway to recover three of the four footprints, which will be airlifted by helicopter this fall for permanent preservation and display at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.