Researchers have discovered the first known adult Tyrannosaurus rex trackway, a 23-foot Hell Creek Formation path in North Dakota preserving four three-toed footprints made 66.5 million years ago. The rare 2025 find provides behavioral insights into how the apex predator moved across ancient landscapes.
Tracking a Apex Predator in the Hell Creek Formation
While the teeth and bones of Tyrannosaurus rex are well documented across western North America, catching a glimpse of how the iconic dinosaur moved in life has remained exceptionally difficult. That dynamic shifted with the identification of a 23-foot-long trackway on federal land near Marmarth, North Dakota. Discovered by an amateur fossil hunter on a U.S. Forest Service site, the sequence consists of four distinct three-toed footprints embedded in the fossil-rich Hell Creek Formation.
Paleontologists from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Liverpool John Moores University analyzed the site, confirming the track-maker’s identity through the immense size and narrow shape of the toes. While isolated adult prints have surfaced before, this sequence represents the first confirmed trackway left behind by a fully grown adult of the species.
“Bones tell us an enormous amount about these animals, but footprints capture a moment of behavior. With a trackway, we can actually follow an animal as it moved across the landscape. That is incredibly rare for T. rex.”
Tyler Lyson, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Digital Preservation and Walking Speeds of Ancient Giants
To capture the fragile geological evidence without disturbing the site, researchers deployed advanced technology in the field. Scientists utilized a high-resolution 3D surface scanner to document each print across the entire four-print path, which includes two left and two right impressions with a stride length measuring about 13 feet.
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The resulting digital datasets allowed the research team to build precise 3D reproductions. This workflow enabled specialists to study the physical characteristics remotely.
“The technology we’re able to apply in the digital age means my colleagues could scan the tracks in the field and then send the 3D information over to me to visualize on my computer and in VR, enabling me to take as close a look as they did in person.”
Peter Falkingham, professor of paleobiology at Liverpool John Moores University and lead author of the study
By analyzing the spacing and depth of the heavily weathered tracks, researchers calculated that the dinosaur was traveling at a steady pace of approximately 3.5 to 4.5 miles per hour. That measurement suggests the massive carnivore was not in a hurry, moving at a speed roughly comparable to a brisk human walk across the ancient path approximately 66.5 million years ago.
From Classroom Curiosity to Museum Collection
The discovery itself began through an unlikely pairing of education and field exploration. The site was originally found by Kent Hups, a high school science teacher who was volunteering on a dig led by museum curators.
Scientists discover first-ever T. rex trackway in North Dakota
“As a teacher, I’m always telling my students that science starts with curiosity, passion and careful observation. I never imagined that could lead me to a discovery like this.”
Kent Hups, teacher at Northglenn High School and co-author of the paper
Field operations are set to continue. Paleontologists plan to excavate three of the four footprints using a helicopter transport strategy to safely lift them out of the remote North Dakota terrain. The specimens will then be housed at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, which plans to debut updates on the extraction process for museum visitors.
