Trackway Shows Adult Tyrannosaurus Rex Walking Pace
Four fossilized footprints found in North Dakota are the first known trackway likely left by an adult Tyrannosaurus rex.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Geology
Researchers reported on September 8 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology the first known trackway likely left by an adult Tyrannosaurus rex. The four fossilized footprints were found by Kent Hups while fossil hunting in North Dakota last year.
Why it matters
A trackway allows scientists to estimate how a dinosaur moved, something bones alone cannot reveal. Previously recorded tracks were either single adult footprints or trackways from juveniles or a related species.
The trackway spans 7 meters (10 feet), and its spacing indicates a walking pace of about 1.6 meters (5.2 feet) per second. The first footprint measures 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) across, and the trackway is estimated to be about 66.5 million years old.
The players
Kent Hups
Kent Hups is a Colorado high school teacher at Northglenn High School who discovered the trackway while fossil hunting in North Dakota.
Peter Falkingham
Peter Falkingham is a paleontologist at Liverpool John Moores University in England who is affiliated with the research on the trackway.
The details
The three-toed footprints lie along a steep incline in the Hell Creek Formation and were filled with sediment that fossilized them. Because the fossilized footprints eroded more slowly than the surrounding rock, they became exposed. The team plans to wait for further erosion to reveal more of the surrounding rock.
Timeline
Roughly 66.5 million years ago: The trackway was left behind.
Last year: Kent Hups found the trackway while fossil hunting in North Dakota.
September 8: Findings were reported in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Deeper Dive
Trackways from this rock formation extend the record beyond single adult T. rex footprints, which had previously been recorded alongside trackways from juveniles or a related species. The trackway's footprint spacing offers a direct measurement of movement that complements skeletal evidence from the Hell Creek Formation.
Trackways like this one give scientists a direct record of how large dinosaurs moved, which can inform future research on animal locomotion. The method of footprint spacing analysis may be applied to other fossil sites.
The takeaway
Fossilized footprints can reveal how giant predators moved even when skeletons cannot. Continued erosion at fossil sites may expose additional evidence for future study.
Further reading
Explore more on Geology to see how rock formations like the Hell Creek Formation preserve evidence of ancient life.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Science News Explores.
