Jane (dinosaur)

Jane the nickname given to a fossil specimen of small tyrannosaurid dinosaur (probably a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, officially known as BMRP 2002.4.1, discovered in the Hell Creek Formation in southern Montana. After four years of preparation, Jane was put on display at Rockford, Illinois' Burpee Museum of Natural History as the centerpiece of an exhibit called "Jane: Diary of a Dinosaur." Paleontologists who support the theory that Jane represents a juvenile believe the tyrannosaur was approximately 11 years old at its time of death, and its fully restored skeleton measured 6.5 metres (21.5 ft) long, about half as long as the largest known complete T. rex specimen, nicknamed "Sue," which measures 13 m (42.6 ft) long. The weight of the Jane specimen in life was probably nearly 680 kg (1,500 lbs). Its large feet and long legs indicate it was built for speed and could possibly run as fast as 20-30 miles per hour. Its lower jaw has 17 curved, serrated teeth. Despite having a typically female name, Jane's gender is unknown--the specimen was named after Burpee Museum benefactor Jane Solem. The specimen was found in the summer of 2001 by Carol Tuck and Bill Harrison. Ms. Tuck and Mr. Harrison were team members of an expedition led by Burpee Museum curator Michael Henderson.

The Jane specimen has been central to the debate regarding the validity of the proposed tyrannosaurid genus Nanotyrannus. Jane's skull is nearly identical to the skull of the original Nanotyrannus specimen, confirming that they belong to the same species. A conference was held at the Burpee museum in 2005, during which paleontologists debated whether these "pygmy tyrants" represented adult specimens of a small species, or juvenile specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex. While there were a few dissenters, a majority of paleontologists at the conference decided on the latter, and that both Jane and Nanotyrannus were juvenile T. rex. However, the Jane material has yet to be properly studied and described by scientists. This research is currently being undertaken by Robert T. Bakker, Peter Larson, and Phil Currie, and should help settle the question once it it officially published.