In the summer, brothers Liam and Jessin Fisher, along with their cousin Kaiden Madsen, embarked on a hike through the rugged North Dakota badlands with Sam Fisher, Liam and Jessin’s father. What began as a routine adventure in the Hell Creek Formation, an area renowned for its dinosaur fossils, turned into an extraordinary discovery that would captivate the paleontological world.
As the group traversed the rocky terrain, the boys—Liam, then seven, Jessin, ten, and Kaiden, nine—noticed something unusual protruding from the rocks. Suspecting it might be a fossil, they alerted Sam, who quickly snapped a photo and sent it to his high school friend, Dr. Tyler Lyson, the curator of paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. At first glance, Lyson thought the fragment resembled part of a duckbill dinosaur, a common find in the region. However, upon closer inspection, he began to suspect it could belong to something far rarer—a Tyrannosaurus rex.
To confirm his suspicions, Lyson organized an 11-day excavation in the Hell Creek Formation, just south of Marmarth, North Dakota. The boys joined Lyson and his team, eagerly assisting as the dig progressed. The breakthrough came when Lyson unearthed a T. rex tooth, followed by two more, and then the lower jaw of what he identified as a juvenile T. rex. The fossil, affectionately nicknamed “Teen Rex” due to its estimated age of 13 to 15 years at the time of death, was a remarkable find. Weighing approximately 3,500 pounds in life, this adolescent T. rex offered a rare glimpse into the growth stages of one of history’s most iconic predators.
The excavation team carefully encased the fossil in protective plaster and arranged for it to be airlifted by helicopter to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. This specimen, the most complete T. rex ever acquired by the museum, is now a centerpiece of a temporary exhibit titled “Discovering Teen Rex.” Its arrival has added to the museum’s prestigious collection and sparked excitement among researchers and visitors alike.
This discovery contributes to a growing body of knowledge about T. rex, a species that roamed the Earth 65 million years ago. Recent studies have explored everything from the dinosaur’s true size and bite force to its surprisingly limited running capabilities. The “Teen Rex” fossil provides scientists with valuable insights into the development of these prehistoric giants, shedding light on their life cycles and behaviors.
The boys’ find underscores the wonders still hidden in the natural world, waiting to be uncovered by curious minds. As Lyson remarked, “By going outside and embracing their passions and the thrill of discovery, these boys have made an incredible dinosaur discovery that advances science and deepens our understanding of the natural world.” What started as an ordinary hike in the North Dakota badlands became a journey into the distant past, revealing a 65-million-year-old secret that will inspire awe for generations to come.
