T. rex ancestors crossed from Asia to North America via land bridge 70 million years ago, says study

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Introduction:

The news topic “T. rex ancestors crossed from Asia to North America via land bridge 70 million years ago, says study” has drawn international attention, with various media outlets providing diverse insights, historical context, political stances, and on-the-ground developments. Below is a curated overview of how different countries and media organizations have covered this topic recently.

Quick Summary:

• The direct ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex would have arrived in North America after crossing a land bridge from Asia, a new study says. The finding tracks with past research that suggests T. rex was more closely related to the large carnivore Tarbosaurus in Asia. At the time, the area would have been home to temperate rainforests, with a climate somewhat similar to British Columbia today, the UCL team says. It is the latest to weigh in on the fierce debate among paleontologists over the origins of the king of the dinosaurs. fossils of these T.Rex ancestors may still remain undiscovered in Asia, the study says, suggesting they may not have been preserved in the fossil record, as previously thought. The team also found that tyrannosaurids s also could not have preyed on herbivorous dinosaurs like lions.
• Fossils of Tyrannosaurus rex are exclusively found in the USA and Canada. New research suggests its ancestors spread to the continent via a now-lost connection to Siberia. It’s more similar to Asian dinosaurs like Tarbosaurus than its North American relatives. The findings of the study were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. The research was carried out by Cassius Morrison, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, and his colleagues. They say the dinosaur would have reached North America more than 70 million years ago by crossing the Bering Strait between what is now Siberia and Alaska. The study suggests that the fossils of its direct ancestor may lie undiscovered still in Asia. It is in line with past research finding that the T. rex was more closely related to its Asian cousins than to North America relatives such as Daspletosaurus.
• T. rex evolved in western North America from Asian ancestors that crossed the Bering Land Bridge. The evolution of giant body sizes in both tyrannosaurids and their cousins, the mysterious megaraptors, coincided with global cooling following the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum about 92 million years ago. This suggests these dinosaurs may have possessed adaptations that helped them thrive in cooler environments—potentially including feathers or more warm-blooded metabolisms. The study was published May 7, 2025, in Royal Society Open Science, a journal of the Royal Society of the UK and the European Academy of Sciences, and will be available for download on the UCL Earth Sciences website and on the Google Play store for Android and iOS. For more information, visit www.ucl.uk.

Country-by-Country Breakdown:

Original Coverage

The direct ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex would have arrived in North America after crossing a land bridge from Asia, a new study says. The finding tracks with past research that suggests T. rex was more closely related to the large carnivore Tarbosaurus in Asia. At the time, the area would have been home to temperate rainforests, with a climate somewhat similar to British Columbia today, the UCL team says. It is the latest to weigh in on the fierce debate among paleontologists over the origins of the king of the dinosaurs. fossils of these T.Rex ancestors may still remain undiscovered in Asia, the study says, suggesting they may not have been preserved in the fossil record, as previously thought. The team also found that tyrannosaurids s also could not have preyed on herbivorous dinosaurs like lions. Read full article

Tyrannosaurus rex’s ancestors were predatory Asian dinosaurs

Fossils of Tyrannosaurus rex are exclusively found in the USA and Canada. New research suggests its ancestors spread to the continent via a now-lost connection to Siberia. It’s more similar to Asian dinosaurs like Tarbosaurus than its North American relatives. The findings of the study were published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. The research was carried out by Cassius Morrison, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, and his colleagues. They say the dinosaur would have reached North America more than 70 million years ago by crossing the Bering Strait between what is now Siberia and Alaska. The study suggests that the fossils of its direct ancestor may lie undiscovered still in Asia. It is in line with past research finding that the T. rex was more closely related to its Asian cousins than to North America relatives such as Daspletosaurus. Read full article

T. Rex’s Asian Ancestry Revealed in Migration Study

T. rex evolved in western North America from Asian ancestors that crossed the Bering Land Bridge. The evolution of giant body sizes in both tyrannosaurids and their cousins, the mysterious megaraptors, coincided with global cooling following the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum about 92 million years ago. This suggests these dinosaurs may have possessed adaptations that helped them thrive in cooler environments—potentially including feathers or more warm-blooded metabolisms. The study was published May 7, 2025, in Royal Society Open Science, a journal of the Royal Society of the UK and the European Academy of Sciences, and will be available for download on the UCL Earth Sciences website and on the Google Play store for Android and iOS. For more information, visit www.ucl.uk. Read full article

Ancestor of T rex, king of the dinosaurs, came from Asia according to new research

T. rex was one of the largest land predators of all time, measuring up to 13m long and 9 tonnes. The species is known from fossils found in North America, most famously the Hell Creek Formation in the northern US. Other tyrannosaurid species also dominated their respective habitats in northern continents. Further north, Albertosaurus ruled. In Asia, the Tarbosaurus – almost as big as T. reX – was the ultimate predator. The southern continents had their own massive carnivores which filled the same ecological niche as the tyrannosauroids in northern hemisphere. The environment also became more mesic represented by the landscape compared to the more semi-arid seasonal environment earlier in the Cretaceous. The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Read full article

T. rex may have evolved in North America after all, scientists say

T. rex lived between 67 to 66 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period. It could grow to 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) tall at the hips and up to 41 feet (12 m) long. The location of where the species originated has long been a hot topic. The new study builds on earlier research, which suggested that T.Rex’s ancestors arose in Asia and migrated to North America when sea levels fell, providing a land bridge between the continents.. Most T.rex fossils have been discovered in the U.S. states of Montana and South Dakota, as well as in Alberta, Canada — an area that was once an island continent known as Laramidia that extended through parts of what is now Alaska to Mexico. The study supports this finding, and suggests that T rex subsequently evolved in North America. Read full article

T. rex ancestors migrated from Asia 70 million years ago

Research suggests the direct ancestors of T. rex may have migrated from Asia to North America via a land bridge, around 70 million years ago. This theory aligns with previous studies indicating a closer genetic relationship between T.rex and Asian carnivore Tarbosaurus than with North American predators. Read full article

T. rex ancestors crossed from Asia to North America via land bridge 70 million years ago, study finds

T. rex ancestors would have moved from Asia to North America around 70 million years ago, researchers say. The report is the latest to weigh in on the fierce debate among paleontologists over the origins of the king of the dinosaurs. At the time, the area would have been home to temperate rainforests, with a climate somewhat similar to British Columbia today, Cassius Morrison says. The finding tracks with past research that suggests T. reX was more closely related to the large carnivore Tarbosaurus in Asia compared with top predators in North America such as Daspletosaurus, Morrison says in a statement. The modeling also accounts for gaps in the fossil record, meaning that it can be updated if new discoveries are made in future research, he adds. The study’s findings suggest fossils of tyrannosaurids may have been preserved in the North American climate. Read full article

Global Perspectives Summary:

Global media portray this story through varied cultural, economic, and political filters. While some focus on geopolitical ramifications, others highlight local impacts and human stories. Some nations frame the story around diplomatic tensions and international relations, while others examine domestic implications, public sentiment, or humanitarian concerns. This diversity of coverage reflects how national perspectives, media freedom, and journalistic priorities influence what the public learns about global events.

How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.

Sources:

• Original Article
• Tyrannosaurus rex’s ancestors were predatory Asian dinosaurs
• T. Rex’s Asian Ancestry Revealed in Migration Study
• Ancestor of T rex, king of the dinosaurs, came from Asia according to new research
• T. rex may have evolved in North America after all, scientists say
• T. rex ancestors migrated from Asia 70 million years ago
• T. rex ancestors crossed from Asia to North America via land bridge 70 million years ago, study finds

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/06/science/t-rex-ancestors-asia-study-scli-intl