New dinosaur species, a T. rex cousin that “would have chased us,” identified from fossil found 100 years ago

October 14, 2026 / 12:35 PM EDT / CBS News

London — A previously unknown species of dinosaur — a "long-clawed predator the size of a tiger" and a cousin of the Tyrannosaurus rex — has been identified from a fossil originally found 100 years ago, but which remained hidden away in a British museum until recently.

The species has been named Invictibellatrix amberina, and it belongs to a group of two-legged carnivores known as megaraptorans according to an article published in the Royal Society Open Science research journal.

Megaraptorans were closely related to the group of dinosaurs T. rex originated from, the tyrannosaurs. Unlike T. rex, however, scientists say Invictibellatrix did not attack prey with its mouth, but with its long arms and giant curved claws.

Researchers believe the dinosaur would have been between 10 and 13 feet long and almost 5 feet tall. Its body would have had feathers, and it would have hunted smaller dinosaurs, lizards and mammals.

The fossil that led to the discovery sat in a drawer at the Natural History Museum in London for nearly 100 years, having first been obtained by the vaunted institution in 1924.

Dr. Cassius Morrison of University College London…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/