Paleontologists know very little about what the giant, bone-crushing Tyrannosaurus was like as a baby. Newly hatched fossils are rare and offer few hints about the behavior of these 30 cm tall carnivores. But now, tiny footprints found in rocks about 72 million years old provide evidence that baby Tyrannosaurus rex migrated in pairs.

Paleontologists first discovered the footprints while surveying the banks of the St. Mary River Formation in southwestern Alberta. Donald Henderson, a researcher at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, and his colleagues Canadian Geoscience JournalAmong the fossil tracks are seven miniature dinosaur tracks that suggest individuals migrated in pairs. “The shape and length of the pace of the small track closely match what a new hatchling produces. [tyrannosaurs] Albertosaurus Also GorgosaurusHenderson notes that the sharp claw tips on the footprints suggest a predator.

Existing knowledge of Tyrannosaurus behavior comes primarily from fossilized bitten bones and some rare footprints. Bruised skulls show the tyrannosaurs fought each other face to face, and footprints found in British Columbia indicate that the adults occasionally interacted together. “Tyrannosaurs didn’t just kill macho machines,” says fossil-track expert Lisa Buckley. He is not involved in new research. Newly discovered footprints suggest that hatchlings formed groups after leaving their nests, similar to some herbivorous dinosaurs, as well as live crocodiles and large ground birds. .

Buckley says it’s possible the footprints came from another type of carnivore, but either way, the find adds to what is known about dinosaur life. “Even if a genus group was responsible, the footprints in this paper are interesting because they show evidence of group behavior,” she says.