T-Rex ancestor found in China

One of the most famous dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex or more commonly known as T-Rex now has a great grandfather. Researchers have found fossils of a dinosaur they called Guanlong wucaii in northwestern China. They say Guanlong wucaii is the oldest primitive relative of T-Rex. From BBC News:

The researchers hope that the find will reveal more about the primitive phase of tyrannosaur evolution.

"Guanlong shows us how the small coelurosaurian ancestors of tyrannosaurs took the first step that led to the giant T. rex almost 100 million years later," Prof Clark said.

Most of the tyrannosaur fossils that have been found date to the latter years of tyrannosaurs' existence, and there are very few early specimens.

Prior to the discovery of the G. wucaii, the 130 million-year-old feathered Dilong paradoxus (D. paradoxus) reported in 2004, was the oldest tyrannosaur known.