Mauricio Barbi

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Blood vessels preserved in a broken rib of the largest known T. rex show healing in progress

As of September 2026: Leading the team analyzing Scotty's rib

Scotty, the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton on record, died 66 million years ago with a broken rib that was still healing. The rib holds a dense network of mineralized blood vessels that formed as the dinosaur's body worked to repair the fracture.

Updated Sep 24

Notable Quotes

It's like winning the lottery. Scotty's rib contains a vast network of mineralized blood vessels that has never before been observed in a fossil.

from Blood vessels preserved in a broken rib of the largest known T. rex show healing in progress · Updated Sep 24

Preserved blood vessel structures, like we have found in Scotty's rib bone, appear linked to areas where the bone was healing. This is because during the healing process, those areas had increased blood flow to them.

from Blood vessels preserved in a broken rib of the largest known T. rex show healing in progress · Updated Sep 24