There’s a brand-new T. rex in town — and this one ruled the ancient seas. Scientists led by researchers at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas have identified a massive new species of mosasaur, the giant marine reptile that swam alongside the dinosaurs 80 million years ago.
Named Tylosaurus rex — “king of the tylosaurs” — the colossal predator stretched up to 43 feet long, about the length of a school bus, making it one of the largest mosasaurs ever discovered. Its finely serrated teeth and powerful jaw and neck muscles made it a fearsome hunter of the ancient seas.
The discovery is a true Texas original: the fossils were found primarily in northern Texas, and the key specimen used to describe the species — nicknamed “The Black Knight” — is on display right here at the Perot Museum. Researchers at the American Museum of Natural History, the Perot Museum, and Southern Methodist University spent years comparing fossils across 22 museums before confirming this was a species new to science.
Next time you’re at the Perot Museum, look for the giant mosasaur skeleton and say hello to the T. rex of the sea — a 43-foot reminder that everything really is bigger in Texas, even 80 million years ago.
Photo: Perot Museum of Nature and Science
