Home News > LEGO Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton Model Unveiled After 68 Million Years

LEGO Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton Model Unveiled After 68 Million Years

by Blake May 17,2025

The LEGO Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus Rex set, available exclusively at the LEGO Store, is an awe-inspiring and ambitious creation. At first glance, its size is striking; this is a 1:12 scale model of a real T-Rex, meticulously crafted to captivate enthusiasts and collectors alike.

LEGO Jurassic World Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus Rex

Price: $249.99 at LEGO Store

Upon closer inspection, the attention to detail is remarkable. The ribs are constructed at varying lengths to simulate a realistic rib "cage," while the dark-colored bricks enhance shadow effects, highlighting the light-colored "bone" bricks for a dramatic effect. Despite its complex appearance, the set is surprisingly straightforward to assemble, which only adds to its allure.

We Build LEGO Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus Rex

My fascination with dinosaurs began in childhood, particularly during visits to the American Museum of Natural History where the towering T-Rex skeleton left a lasting impression. Later, Ray Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" further fueled my awe, with its vivid description of the T-Rex:

"It came on great oiled, resilient, striding legs. It towered thirty feet above half of the trees, a great evil god, folding its delicate watchmaker's claws close to its oily reptilian chest. Each lower leg was a piston, a thousand pounds of white bone, sunk in thick ropes of muscle, sheathed over in a gleam of pebbled skin like the mail of a terrible warrior."

For many years, the popular image of the T-Rex was of a creature standing upright with its tail dragging on the ground:

Source: American Museum of Natural History

However, scientific understanding has evolved, revealing that the T-Rex actually stood with its spine parallel to the ground, using its tail as a counterbalance:

Source: Field Museum

This updated understanding comes from "Sue," the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever discovered, at 90% completeness. When Sue was first unearthed in 1990, the *gastralia*—small bones supporting the T-Rex's belly—were initially overlooked. Today, we recognize their role in supporting the dinosaur's breathing and contributing to its overall structure.

Source: Universal Pictures

The T-Rex from the 1993 film *Jurassic Park* reflects an outdated view, showing a leaner body. New findings, including the role of gastralia, suggest a much heavier build, weighing between nine to ten tons, with a belly closer to the ground.

This life-sized model, inspired by Sue's bones, represents our current, most accurate depiction of a T-Rex:

Source: Blue Rhino Studio

It's amusing to see how our perception has shifted from a lean, fearsome predator to a chubbier, somewhat cuter version. The LEGO Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus Rex set aligns with this updated understanding, featuring a horizontal stance but lacking the gastralia. Instead, the rib placement suggests a "barrel-chested" build, and the forward-positioned arms reflect the latest museum displays.

The set comes in 25 sealed plastic bags, and the assembly process starts with the black stand, followed by the backbone, neck, legs, hips, ribs, arms, tail, and finally, the head. The legs and torso are fixed, while the arms, head, and tail are adjustable, allowing for various poses.

Measuring nearly three-and-a-half feet from tip to tail, this model demands significant space. It's best displayed on a wide, flat surface such as a dresser or coffee table, where it can truly dominate the room.

Although part of the LEGO Jurassic Park franchise, the set includes minifigures of Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler from the original film, along with a Jurassic Park logo placard. Yet, this tie-in feels somewhat forced, as the set's name and the option to remove the minifigures suggest it stands well on its own. The set's magnificence doesn't rely on movie tie-ins; it's a statement piece akin to the LEGO Titanic, needing no additional characters to enhance its appeal.