The T. rex was like "the James Dean of the dinosaurs," according to Gregory Erickson, a paleontologist from Florida State University who consulted on the museum's new exhibit.
The Hollywood actor — whose famous quote was, “Live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse” — died in a fiery car crash at the age of 24. T. rexes, similarly, were spectacular but died quite young.
Paleontologists can estimate the age that a dinosaur was when it died by analyzing its fossilized bones. The bones have growth rings that correspond to the animal's age, much like trees. Experts can count the number of rings to determine a creature's age, and can also determine how fast the dinosaur was growing at different ages by comparing the spaces between the rings.