A new find in southern China suggests the existence of large carnivorous dinosaurs related to Tyrannosaurus rex.

The findings, led by Associate Professor Xing Lida of the China University of Geosciences Beijing, were published in the journal Cretaceous Research, reports
China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS.

The fossilised teeth found in the Sanshui Basin date back to the Late Cretaceous period, about 66-70 million years ago. This is the first find of large theropod dinosaurs in the region and adds to the southernmost Tyrannosauroid fossil remains in China.

“The discovery of teeth from the Tyrannosauroidea alongside these taxons forms a dinosaur biota, suggesting that the dinosaur biota in southern China was likely quite prosperous toward the end of the Cretaceous before the major extinction event,” Xing said.

The research team suggests that the dinosaur biota in southern China flourished before a major extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that paved the way for the emergence of mammals and eventually humans.

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