Tyrannosaur Trap - Photo Gallery - National Geographic Magazine

Current Issue September 2008
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The Real Jurassic Park

A fossil bonanza in northwestern China shows that the ancestors of T. Rex and other reptile giants started small.

/2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/1-gobi-desert-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-01.jpg Photograph by Ira Block http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167297 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/2-fossil-specimens-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-02.jpg Photograph by Ira Block /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/3-fossil-skull-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-03.jpg Photograph by Ira Block Junggarsuchus sloani, a primitive land-dwelling crocodilian, is part of a trove of fossils shedding light on a poorly understood moment in dinosaur evolution.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167299 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/4-fossil-head-475.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-04.jpg Photograph by Ira Block Yinlong downsi is the earliest known ceratopsian dinosaur. The group later produced horned giants such as Triceratops.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167296 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/5-fossil-dinosaur-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-05.jpg Photograph by Ira Block Guanlong wucaii is the earliest known member of the tyrannosaur line, which culminated with the fearsome T. rex.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167295 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/6-fossil-skull-475.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-06.jpg Photograph by Ira Block "Gongbusaurus" wucaiwanensis evolved into the great duckbills of the Cretaceous.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167300 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/7-fossil-skeleton-475.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-07.jpg Photograph by Ira Block http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167307 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/8-scientists-gobi-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-08.jpg Photograph by Ira Block Tyrannosaurus rex.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167306 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/9-desert-truck-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-09.jpg Photograph by James Clark /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/10-dinosaur-fossil-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-10.jpg Photograph by Ira Block Guanlong wucaii, the earliest known tyrannosaur, may have become stuck while preying on a trapped subadult Guanlong. A primitive form of feathers probably covered Guanlong's body. Its crest may have been used for species recognition or courtship displays. Guanlong's D-shaped, serrated teeth foreshadow those found in later tyrannosaurs and taken to extremes in Tyrannosaurus rex.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167294 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/11-fossil-spine-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-11.jpg Photograph by Ira Block Guanlong probably preyed on its own kind.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167292 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/12-fossil-tail-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-12.jpg Photograph by Ira Block Guanlong skeletons may have lost its head and limbs to a predator.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167291 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/13-dinosaur-fossil-714.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-13.jpg Photograph by Ira Block http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167298 /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/14-dinosaur-skeleton-475.jpg /2008/07/tyrannosaur-trap/img/tyrannosaur-trap-60-14.jpg Photographs by Ira Block http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1167290