First adult T. rex trackway discovered in North Dakota reveals 13-foot stride and walking speed
Paleontologists have identified the first known trackway attributed to an adult Tyrannosaurus rex, consisting of four giant three-toed footprints discovered in 2025 near Marmarth, North Dakota. The 66.5-million-year-old footprints record a 13-foot stride, indicating the predator walked at 3.5 to 4.5 miles per hour—roughly a brisk human pace. The find, confirmed by scientists from Colorado and published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, provides unprecedented insight into adult T. rex locomotion and behavior.
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T-Rex footprints discovered in North Dakota reveal dinosaur walked at human pace
Researchers have discovered the first known sequence of multiple step tracks from an adult Tyrannosaurus rex in the Hell Creek Formation near Marmarth, North Dakota. The four footprints, each nearly one meter long and between 60 and 80 centimeters wide, were preserved when the dinosaur walked over soft ground, leaving depressions that filled with sandy material and were solidified by calcareous groundwater. Co-author Tyler Lyson from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science stated that 'footprints capture a moment of behavior,' allowing researchers to follow the animal as it moved. From the stride length and print size, the team calculated a hip height of approximately four meters and estimated the T-Rex was moving at just over 5 to 7 kilometers per hour—roughly equivalent to a brisk human walking pace. The researchers support the conclusion that the tracks come from an adult T-Rex due to the abundance of T-Rex bones and skeletons found in the immediate region, and because tracks from other large herbivores like hadrosaurs have significantly wider toe impressions. The findings were published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Read sourceFirst adult T. rex trackway discovered in North Dakota, showing 13-foot stride and walking speed
Four giant three-toed footprints discovered in 2025 near Marmarth, North Dakota, have been identified as the first trackway ever attributed to an adult Tyrannosaurus rex. The 66.5-million-year-old sequence records a stride of 13 feet, indicating that the predator was strolling at speeds of 3.5 to 4.5 mph—approximately the speed of a brisk human walk. The discovery was reported by multiple news outlets including Space Daily, The Guardian, CBS News, National Geographic, and 9News, with coverage highlighting the significance of finding footprints rather than bones, and the unlikely fossil hunter who made the discovery in the North Dakota badlands.
Read sourceFirst-ever adult Tyrannosaurus rex trackway discovered in North Dakota badlands
A groundbreaking discovery in the North Dakota badlands has revealed the first-ever trackway attributed to an adult Tyrannosaurus rex. The find, made near Marmarth in 2025, consists of four giant three-toed footprints that are approximately 66.5 million years old. The trackway records a 13-foot stride, indicating the predator was strolling at a speed of 3.5 to 4.5 miles per hour. Scientists from Colorado were involved in the discovery, which provides unprecedented insight into the locomotion and behavior of adult T. rex. The footprints are the first known example of an adult T. rex trackway, marking a historic moment in paleontology.
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First-ever adult Tyrannosaurus rex trackway discovered in North Dakota badlands
Paleontologists have discovered the first-ever trackway attributed to an adult Tyrannosaurus rex in the badlands of North Dakota, near Marmarth. The 66.5-million-year-old sequence consists of four giant three-toed footprints found in 2025. The trackway records a 13-foot stride, indicating the predator was strolling at a speed of approximately 3.5 to 4.5 miles per hour. This discovery provides unique insights into the locomotion and behavior of adult T. rex, as previous trackways were only known from juvenile specimens. The finding was reported by multiple news outlets including WYFF, The Guardian, Space Daily, Sci.News, and FOX Weather.
Read sourceFirst known adult T. rex footprints discovered in North Dakota badlands
A set of four giant three-toed footprints discovered in 2025 near Marmarth, North Dakota, has been identified as the first known trackway attributed to an adult Tyrannosaurus rex. The 66.5-million-year-old footprints record a 13-foot stride, indicating the predator was walking at a speed of 3.5 to 4.5 miles per hour. The discovery was made by an unlikely fossil hunter and has been reported by multiple news outlets including The Guardian, Space Daily, CBS News, National Geographic, and 9News. The find is significant as it provides the first evidence of an adult T. rex's footprints, offering new insights into the dinosaur's gait and movement patterns. The trackway was found in the North Dakota badlands and has been confirmed by scientists from Colorado.
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