Scientists report that the exceptionally large Tyrannosaurus rex fossil known as “Scotty” likely suffered a broken rib shortly before death, based on a detailed reconstruction and examination of the remains.
“Scotty” is described as the largest T. rex discovered so far, measuring about 42 feet long. The report dates the animal’s death to around 66 million years ago, near the end of the Cretaceous period. The proposed cause is internal injury: the broken rib is presented as a key sign that the dinosaur survived long enough for the injury to be recorded in the fossil but ultimately died soon after.
Both sources frame the findings around the same central interpretation of the rib damage and the timing of death. They do not cite alternative explanations in the provided excerpts, and the overall emphasis is on the injury evidence and how it informs understanding of how this individual T. rex died rather than on broader debate about T. rex health or extinction events.
