Meet the King and QUEEN of the dinosaurs! Skeletons of two T-Rexes go on display in a New Zealand museum – including a pregnant female that lived 66 million years ago

Stepping aside Kate and William, Barbara and Peter are the latest royal couple to visit New Zealand.

But these are no ordinary royals, Barbara and Peter are the world's first pairing of a male and female T. rex.

A third of New Zealand's population has already flocked to the Auckland War Memorial Museum to see the ancient power couple.

Barbara is exceptionally rare as one of only three pregnant T-Rex specimens ever found.

However, there are only a few days left to see the royal couple as the exhibition ends on December 10.

The world's first pair of male and female T. rex skeletons will be on display for a few more days at the Auckland War Memorial Museum

For the first time, a male and female T. rex will be displayed side by side, providing a rare opportunity to see the magnificent specimens in comparison

What is T-Rex?

Tyrannosaurus rex was a species of bird-like, carnivorous dinosaur.

It lived between 68 and 66 million years ago in what is now the western side of North America.

It can grow up to 40 feet (12 m) long and 12 feet (4 m) high.

More than 50 fossilized specimens of T. Rex have been collected to date.

The feral animal had one of the strongest bites in the animal kingdom.

Artist's impression of a T-Rex

Barbara was discovered in the Hell Creek Formation in northwestern Montana where she was buried 66 million years ago.

At 38 feet (11.7 m) long and nearly 10 feet (3 m) long, Barbara was one of the largest predators on Earth.

The paleontologists who found Barbara believe her protruding abdomen is evidence that she was carrying eggs at the time of her death.

This makes Barbara one of the rarest dinosaur specimens on Earth and a rare opportunity to examine the difference between a male and female T. rex.

At 44 percent complete, Barbara is also the eighth most complete T. rex specimen in the world.

Experts also believe that Barbara was injured while alive, perhaps in a fight with another T. rex.

A large gash on her hind legs shows signs of healing, meaning she lived a long time after the injury.

Her partner Peter is no less unique as one of only four black T. rex ever found.

While most tyrannosaurs are brown, Peter's bones are a shiny black.

Slightly smaller than Barbara at just under 36 feet tall, Peter also bears the scars of past battles.

Large wounds on his hind leg suggest that Peter fought with a younger, stronger rival at the end of his life.

However, it didn't end well, as paleontologists who studied Peter believe he was almost certainly killed and eaten by another T. rex.

Barbara T. rex is one of only three pregnant T. rex ever found, and scientists say her swollen abdomen indicates she was carrying eggs

The specimens on display aren't the only historical objects, as the Auckland Museum says the exhibit has become the most successful dinosaur display ever.

A few days before the exhibition closed, the museum had already received 1.6 million visitors.

To point out that this is almost the entire population of Auckland.

David Reeves, chief executive of Auckland Museum, said: “Barbara and Peter have provided a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience for many thousands of school children.

“It was a pleasure to see people's reactions when they encountered these wonderful specimens for the first time.”

In addition to displaying these remarkable specimens, the Auckland Museum has also conducted preliminary research on the specimens for the public.

Dr. David Burnham, from the University of Kansas, and Dr. John Nodds, from the University of Manchester, studied Peter and Barbara in the laboratory for several months.

Dr Nodds said: “These reports are designed to encourage children and young people to learn about the extraordinary world of theropods, a subject that has fascinated me throughout my career.”

Meanwhile, Dr Burnham added: “Studying and publicly reporting each individual specimen means it becomes part of the entire body of knowledge about Tyrannosaurus rex.”

“Every documented specimen is of great importance, not least because there are so few of them.”

Killing the Dinosaurs: How a City-Sized Asteroid Wiped Out 75 Percent of All Animal and Plant Species

About 66 million years ago, non-avian dinosaurs were wiped out, and more than half of the world's species were wiped out.

This mass extinction paved the way for the emergence of mammals and the emergence of humans.

The Chicxulub asteroid is often cited as a possible cause of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.

The asteroid hit a shallow sea in what is now known as the Gulf of Mexico.

The impact unleashed a huge cloud of dust and soot that led to global climate change, wiping out 75 percent of all animal and plant species.

The researchers claim that the soot needed for such a global catastrophe could only come from direct impact on rocks in the shallow waters around Mexico, which are particularly rich in hydrocarbons.

Experts believe that within 10 hours of the impact, a massive tsunami hit the Gulf Coast.

About 66 million years ago, non-avian dinosaurs were wiped out, and more than half of the world's species were wiped out. The Chicxulub asteroid is often cited as a possible cause of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event (stock image)

This caused earthquakes and landslides as far away as Argentina.

While investigating the event, researchers found small particles of rock and other debris that were released into the air when the asteroid broke apart.

These tiny particles are called globules, and they cover the planet in a thick layer of soot.

Experts explain that the loss of sunlight caused a complete collapse of the water system.

This is because the phytoplankton base for almost all aquatic food chains has been eliminated.

More than 180 million years of evolution that brought the world into the Cretaceous period is thought to have been destroyed in less than the lifespan of Tyrannosaurus rex, which was about 20 to 30 years.

(tags for translation) Daily Mail

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