The skull of the primitive tyrannosauroid—the earliest of its kind yet found—was discovered in the Yixian formation of western Liaoning, China, the source of many species of fossil birds and dinosaurs with feathers as well as protofeathers (primitive forms of feathers).

The sediments in which the new dinosaur was found are between 139 and 128 million years old.

This research was supported in part by the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration.

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