Is "Scotty" the biggest T. rex? Maybe not.

"Scotty" is not exactly a novelty on the throne. The skeleton of this impressive Tyrannosaurus rex, found in Saskatchewan and the centerpiece of the province T. rex Discovery Center, has been known to dinosaur lovers since 1991. But the King of the Tyrants tramples the cycle of scientific news this week, as the oldest and most important, T. rex still known.

But did Scotty really win the crown? Is it even the right question to ask?

Scotty – known to researchers under the name of RSM P2523.8 – is quite exceptional as far as T. rex go. This is because the skeleton comprises about 65% of the expected pieces. And these fossils are at the center of a new study of paleontologists W. Scott Persons, Philip Currie and Gregory Erickson who announces this dinosaur as "an extremely ancient and exceptionally large adult specimen" Tyrannosaurus rex. "

Dinosaurs are not just for display. In-depth studies like this provide basic information about individual animals that can help give a clearer picture of what a missing species looks like. This is particularly critical when the sample size is small. There are about 50 known partial T. rex skeletons of the two million year reign of the dinosaur. It's pretty good for the dinosaur standards, but imagine how much we would not understand if we had such a large sample size for animals like jaguars or spotted hyenas. Every piece is important.

At about 28 years old, Scotty was probably old for a T. rex. It is about the same age of death as for the famous "Sue" almost complete, but it is the question of size that has thrown a bright light on Scotty.

The estimate of Scotty's size is about 42.6 feet, not exceeding Sue. And the new weight estimate is almost 900 pounds heavier than the one calculated by the researchers for Sue. There is no doubt that Scotty was a huge dinosaur that represents the ultimate evolution of non-avian predatory dinosaurs (in part because there was more after the fall of a curtain on the Cretaceous little after Scotty). But in the classic contest "My dinosaur is bigger than yours," Scotty might not be the top, after all.

The fact is that Scotty is not as complete as Sue – about 65% to about 90% in Sue's case. It is important. A few centimeters here or there on this or that missing vertebra can add up, especially when both T. rex are already so close. Bulk becomes difficult, too. Paleontologist John Hutchinson noted that previous mass estimates for Scotty were comparable to those of Sue and that they were within the expected margin of error for this type of approximation. The difference between these two dinosaurs was probably a matter of ounces and centimeters.

It involves understanding dinosaurs as animals and not monsters that look like kaiju. This is also why the constant fascination for the biggest dinosaurs can be so frustrating. What are we talking about even when we are trying to locate the biggest dinosaurs? Length? Weight? Both?

With all kinds of variations, it would be possible for two T. rex to have exactly the same length but to have different weights – or to have different weights with varying lengths – in which case to assign a superlative title becomes subjective. Communicating palaeontology and its discoveries often comes down to this type of gross typology, which can blind us to the fact that dinosaurs were like living animals. No two are exactly alike, and one skeleton simply can not be exchanged for another, assuming proportions and dimensions are shared.

And this also raises questions for science journalists. Given the evolution of the media landscape and competition, science is constantly confronted with all the other news, "T. rex found 28 years ago is about as tall as any other T. rex"It's not really a story, of course Scotty's claim to the title of the greatest known champion will make the headlines, but that means that healthy doubt and skepticism are buried, or not taken at all. account, especially in the abbreviated "reverse pyramid" news model in which a conclusion is shouted first and details are directed down Clickbait is the rule in a media ecosystem where everyone is fighting to attract the Pay attention and earn advertising money Although it may seem frivolous in the world of dinosaurs, it is important to keep in mind how sausage is made when science turns to psychology and health.

Scotty is really a spectacular dinosaur. And, by Tyrannosaur standards, reaching 28 was no small feat. The overall picture of dinosaur life is incredibly brutal. Most did not survive their first year. The exceptional growth rates of dinosaurs were a survival strategy and, given that T. rex had no qualms about consuming his own kind, probably as true for the tyrant king. Scotty has also suffered many injuries, which seems to be the norm for large carnivorous dinosaurs. Bigger or not, Scotty set an impressive record T. rex. Hello to the king.