When the fossils of Nanuqsaurus hoglundi were discovered in the Arctic three decades ago, scientists thought they belonged to a whale, reports the AFP. But a second, more recent look from researchers in Texas revealed that the fossils actually belonged to a diminutive Tyrannosaurus rex relative that roamed Alaskas north over 66 million years ago. Found 400 miles northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska, this miniature tyrannosaurine measured 6.5 feet at the hip and almost 23 feet from tooth to tail. Scientists think that its small size may have been advantageous in the harsh Arctic conditions because the scarce resources in the area would not have been enough to satisfy a larger animal.
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