Rise of T. rex

Everybody loves dinosaurs, and the most famous dino of all is the terrible lizard, the T. rex. Paleontologist Dr. Lindsay Zanno works in the Badlands and other sites learning about the life and death of the huge predator. In the process, she’s discovered many new species. Zanno will share her knowledge (she’s one of the experts on the evolution of theropod dinosaurs) on the big dinosaurs as well as the Moros, North America's tiniest tyrannosaur, in this National Geographic Live lecture.

media release: Embark on a riveting journey through time at Rise of T. rex with Paleontologist Lindsay Zanno from National Geographic Live on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in Capitol Theater. Join an expedition through the North America’s badlands as Paleontologist Zanno searches for clues in the evolutionary mystery of this iconic apex predator, discovering many new species along the way—including some of the earliest predecessors of T. rex. Tickets ($25-$65) are available at overture.org. 

How did T. rex become the iconic apex predator of North America 66 million years ago? Paleontologist Dr. Lindsay Zanno is uncovering the answers. Each year she spends several months on expedition, scouring the badlands of western North America to search for clues. Along the way, she has discovered many new species — including some of the earliest predecessors of T. rex. 

Dr. Lindsay Zanno is Head of Paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and an Associate Research Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at North Carolina State University. She is one of the world’s leading experts on the evolution of theropod dinosaurs. Zanno has a soft spot for the American West, where she has discovered more than a dozen new species, including Siats, one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs on the continent, and Moros, North America's tiniest tyrannosaur. 

“Rise of T. rex with Paleontologist Lindsay Zanno” is the second presentation from the National Geographic Live series in Overture’s 2024/25 season, with the final talk of the series from marine biologist Erika Woolsey (“Diving the Great Barrier Reef”) on April 15.