Teacher Finds First Known Adult T-Rex Footprint Trail in North Dakota

A schoolteacher has discovered what researchers describe as the first known footprint trail left by an adult Tyrannosaurus rex, according to GB News. The four large three-toed prints were found in 2025 near Marmarth, North Dakota, the outlet reports.

GB News describes the find as the first trackway ever attributed to an adult T. rex. According to Space Daily, the fossilised sequence is roughly 66.5 million years old and preserves a stride of about 13 feet. The same report estimates the animal was moving at 3.5 to 4.5 mph — a walking pace rather than a run.

The Guardian also covered the discovery, calling the prints the first known adult T. rex footprints found in North Dakota. National Geographic focused on the person behind the find, describing the fossil hunter as an unlikely one.

Taken together, the reports point to a rare piece of evidence: not bones, but a record of how a fully grown T. rex actually moved across the ground. Trackways can show gait and speed in ways skeletons cannot, which is why the stride measurement has drawn attention.

t-rex footprints

The discovery has been reported by multiple outlets, though the material available does not include the teacher's name, the exact date of the find, or the peer-reviewed publication details. Those specifics are likely to emerge as the research is formally presented or published.

Watch for the formal scientific paper and any confirmation of the trackmaker's identity, which would firm up the claim that these prints belong to an adult T. rex.