Three young boys made a remarkable discovery while on a family hike in North Dakota, finding a rare T. Rex fossil that has thrilled the scientific community.

Jessin and Liam Fisher, along with their cousin Kaiden, were out exploring the rugged terrain with their dad, Sam Fisher, when they stumbled upon something extraordinary. At that time, Liam was 7, Jessin was 10, and Kaiden was 9.

“You just never know what you are going to find out there,” Sam Fisher commented. “You see all kinds of cool rocks and plants and wildlife.”

The family contacted Dr. Tyler Lyson, Curator of Paleontology from a local museum, for help in identifying their find. Lyson and the boys, along with a team of paleontologists, returned the next summer to excavate the site.

Dr. Lyson praised the boys’ discovery, stating, “By going outside and embracing their passions and the thrill of discovery, these boys have made an incredible dinosaur discovery that advances science and deepens our understanding of the natural world.”

The fossil will soon be on display in the Denver museum’s temporary exhibition “Discovering Teen Rex,” opening June 21. Visitors will also get a behind-the-scenes look in the 40-minute movie, “T. REX,” which will be shown in the museum’s Infinity Theater.

Liam shared his excitement about finding the fossil in a recent interview, “I went up to a ledge with my dad and then he and I spotted the bones,” he recalled. “We called for Jessin and Kaiden, and Jessin said, ‘That’s a dinosaur.’”

Jessin, who had previously found buffalo and cow bones, noted that these bones were “definitely bigger.”

This remarkable find is especially significant as only a handful of juvenile T. rex skeletons have ever been found, marking a notable moment for science.