Down to Earth Extra February 2026

The February 2026 edition of Down to Earth Extra has been published. You can download it HERE or you can read it below.

 T. rex - When did they Stop Growing?

THIS ARTICLE in New Scientist, (based on this ACADEMIC PAPER) suggests that they grew until at least forty!

The methodology used is akin to counting tree rings, complicated by the earliest growth rings being destroyed as the bone marrow cavity enlarges. Because of this you need many specimens with overlapping growth stages to allow for this.

And after forty years growth rings are not produced so the maximum age of T. rex cannot be determined.

But only two of the specimens reached the advanced age of forty. 

The New Scientist article makes the research sound very straight forward but the academic paper reveals that the gathering of the evidence is more than just a matter of counting rings. And then we get into the statistics!

Obligatory, scary T. rex picture.

Down to Earth Extra January 2026 - Replacement

The replacement January 2026 edition of Down to Earth Extra has been published. You can download it HERE or you can read it below.