Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis Dalman et al., 2024 (new species)
(Lower jaw bones of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis [scale bar = 20 cm], from Dalman et al., 2024)
Meaning of name: mcraeensis = from the McRae Group
Age: Late Cretaceous (Campanian or Maastrichtian)
Where found: Hall Lake Formation, New Mexico, U.S.A.
How much is known: Partial skull and parts of the tail vertebrae of one individual.
Notes: In recent years, the genus Tyrannosaurus has generally been considered to consist of only one well-established species, T. rex. However, a new study argues that the type specimen of T. mcraeensis should be considered a new species based on various differences in the shape of its skull bones, as well as the fact that it may have been up to 7 million years older than T. rex. T. mcraeensis was about the same size as T. rex, so if this is accurate, it may suggest that the ancestors of Tyrannosaurus evolved their giant body size in the southern parts of North America. That being said, not all tyrannosaurid researchers are convinced of the distinctiveness and age of T. mcraeensis.
Reference: Dalman, S.G., M.A. Loewen, R.A. Pyron, S.E. Jasinski, D.E. Malinzak, S.G. Lucas, A.R. Fiorillo, P.J. Currie, and N.R. Longrich. 2024. A giant tyrannosaur from the Campanian–Maastrichtian of southern North America and the evolution of tyrannosaurid gigantism. Scientific Reports 13: 22124. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-47011-0
Originally I had done this as a speedpaint and guess on the colors back in 2021, felt like I could do a better job and ended up spending 3 days on and off working this.
I think I spent like hour moving the pupils and staring at them to make sure they were in the right spot otherwise the creep factor isn’t there like in the original by Wayne Barlowe(below the speedpaint)