Sam Neill had pneumonia before his death, co-star says, as tributes pour in   NBC - July 13, 2026

Legendary New Zealand actor Sam Neill, who starred in 'Jurassic Park' died Monday in Sydney, Australia at age 78

Neglected Museum Fossils Turn Out to Be The First T. Rex Hatchlings Ever   Science Alert - July 9, 2026

Jurassic Park was wrong. Again. In the second movie, hunters find an infant Tyrannosaurus rex and use it to lure the adults into a trap. But in reality, that baby would have been much smaller, about the size of a cat. And it probably wouldn't have been alone - the nest may have been absolutely crawling with dozens of them. It likely wouldn't have been very useful as bait either: Its parents probably would have considered losing a baby or two as just part of the process, and wouldn't have cared enough to push a research trailer off a cliff.

T. rex named Gus sells for $50.1 million to become the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold   NPR - July 14, 2026

An imposing, 38-foot long Tyrannosaurus rex fossil sold for a record $50.1 million at auction on Tuesday. But its purchase - likely by a private buyer - is being criticized by paleontologists and other scientists.

Gus is considered one of the largest and most complete T. rex skeletons ever discovered. Many hoped a museum would buy the impressive specimen but the Smithsonian and three other large natural history museums that NPR contacted said they did not bid on it. Because the fossil may not be available for public viewing or research, the sale has upset many in the scientific community.

Gus is about 63 percent complete, with what Sotheby's describes as an exceptionally preserved skull including a gaping jaw of powerful teeth, two well represented feet and a number of rarely found bones, including a furcula, or wishbone. The fossil was discovered in 2021 on a ranch in South Dakota and named in honor of property owner Gary Licking, who died during the roughly five year excavation, restoration and mounting process. The auction house said the mystery winner outbid six other prospective buyers during Tuesday's 10-minute bidding battle.

The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, an advocacy group of scientists, scholars and students, said ahead of Tuesday's sale that scientifically significant fossils such as Gus should be publicly displayed in museums and other research institutions so that they can be preserved, documented, and accessible for future generations.