Tyrannosaurus vs Giganotosaurus: The Most Dangerous Predators. Tyrannosaurus - carnivorous dinosaur Venerable Tyrannosaurus Rex

10.03.2020

Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest land predators in the history of civilization, had excellent binocular vision and a well-developed sense of smell. With mighty sharp teeth, like giant scissors, he tore prey and crushed the bones (not very large) of herbivorous dinosaurs. Such a heavyweight was not a sprinter - he often ate carrion, and the younger generation actively pursued and caught up with prey.

For the first time, a tyrannosaurus, or rather, its skeleton, was discovered in 1902 in the United States.

The reptile moved on two legs, had tiny, short two-toed forelimbs and had huge jaws.

The word "tyrannosaurus" itself comes from two Greek words "tyrant" and "lizard".

It has not been conclusively established whether tyrannosaurs were predators or whether they fed on carrion.
Tyrannosaurs are scavengers. One of the paleontologists, American expert Jack Horner, claims that tyrannosaurs were exclusively scavengers and did not take part in hunting at all. His hypothesis is based on the following statements:
tyrannosaurs had large (relative to brain size) olfactory receptors, which suggests a well-developed sense of smell, which presumably served to locate rotting remains at great distances;
powerful teeth 18 cm long each allow crushing bones, which is required not so much for killing, but for extracting as much food as possible from what is left of the carcass, including bone marrow;
if we assume that tyrannosaurs walked, not ran (see below), and their prey moved much faster than them, then this can serve as evidence in favor of feeding on carrion.

Tyrannosaurus rex were brutal, aggressive predatory killers.

There is evidence in favor of the predatory lifestyle of the tyrannosaurus:
the eye sockets are arranged in such a way that the eyes can look forward, providing the Tyrannosaurus rex with binocular vision (allowing it to accurately judge distances), which is primarily required by a predator (although there are many exceptions);
bite marks on other animals and even other tyrannosaurs;
the comparative rarity of finds of the remains of tyrannosaurs, in any ecosystem the number of large predators is much less than their victims.

Interesting Facts:

While studying one of the tyrannosaurs, paleontologist Peter Larson discovered a healed fracture of the fibula and one vertebra, scratches on the facial bones, and a tooth of another tyrannosaurus rex embedded in the cervical vertebrae. If the assumptions are correct, then this indicates aggressive behavior of tyrannosaurs towards each other, although the motives remain unclear: whether this was competition for food/partner or an example of cannibalism.
Later studies of these wounds showed that most of them are not traumatic, but infectious in nature, or were inflicted after death.

In addition to live prey, these giants did not disdain to eat carrion.

Many scientists believe that tyrannosaurs could have had a mixed diet, like, for example, modern lions - predators, but can eat the remains of animals killed by hyenas.
The mode of movement of the tyrannosaurus rex remains a controversial issue. Some scientists are inclined to the version that they could run, reaching a speed of 40-70 km / h. Others believe that tyrannosaurs walked, not ran.
“Apparently,” writes H.G. Wells in the famous Outline of the History of Civilization, “tyrannosaurs moved like kangaroos, leaning on a massive tail and hind legs. Some scientists even suggest that the Tyrannosaurus rex moved by jumping - in this case, it must have had absolutely incredible muscles. A jumping elephant would be much less impressive. Most likely, the tyrannosaurus hunted herbivorous reptiles - the inhabitants of the swamps. Half immersed in liquid swamp mud, he pursued his victim through the channels and lakes of swampy plains, such as the current Norfolk swamps or the Everglades swamps in Florida.
The opinion about bipedal dinosaurs - similarities of kangaroos was widespread until the middle of the 20th century. Examination of the tracks, however, showed no tail prints. All carnivorous dinosaurs kept their body horizontal when walking, the tail served as a counterweight and balancer. In general, the tyrannosaurus is close in appearance to a huge running bird.
Recent studies of proteins found while examining a fossil T. rex femur have shown dinosaurs to be closely related to birds. Tyrannosaurus is descended from small carnivorous dinosaurs of the late Jurassic era, not from carnosaurs. The currently known small ancestors of Tyrannosaurus Rex (such as the dilong from the Early Cretaceous of China) were feathered with fine, hair-like feathers. The Tyrannosaurus rex itself may not have had feathers (known impressions of the skin of the thigh of a Tyrannosaurus rex bear a pattern of polygonal scales typical of dinosaurs).

In the near future, articles about other prehistoric animals will appear on our website. Since you are here, it means that you are an inquisitive person and very, very good. Don't leave us, come back often. In the meantime - we wish you good luck in life and joyful bright days!

Tyrannosaurus Rex Mysteries

In late 1905, newspapermen were writing excitedly about the bones of a prehistoric monster that paleontologists had unearthed in the badlands of Montana. The New York Times presented the "tyrant lizard" as the most formidable fighting animal in history. More than a hundred years have passed and Tyrannosaurus rex still excites the imagination of the public and paleontologists.

More than 12 meters from muzzle to tail, dozens of pointed teeth the size of a rail crutch: a Tyrannosaurus rex that lived 66 million years ago is not just one of the prehistoric predators, but an icon of ancient horror. He is so charismatic that the routine paleontological discussion can be inflated to ugly proportions.

This happened last year when a group of paleontologists presented their views on the fact that T. rex was not so much a hunter as a scavenger. The media presented it as a sensation, which infuriated paleontologists. In fact, the issue has long been resolved: enough evidence has been collected that suggests that the dinosaur not only ran after prey, but also did not disdain carrion.

It is only discussed what role living and dead animals played in his diet. What is especially annoying is that this not the most important problem hid other, more interesting aspects from the public.

For example, the origin of dinosaurs remains a mystery. Researchers cannot yet determine how the kings of the Cretaceous period (145-66 million years ago) grew from tiny dinosaurs of the Jurassic period (201-145 million years ago). What T. rex looked like as a young adult is heavily debated: it is suspected that some specimens described decades ago as separate species are in fact juveniles of other species.

Even the appearance of the Tyrannosaurus rex remains controversial: many argue that the giant body was covered with fluff and feathers, and not scales. The controversial question of why the animal had such a massive head and legs, but tiny forelimbs, has not gone anywhere.

Fortunately, there is enough material. “Fossils abound,” reports Stephen Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh (UK). “It is rare that so many good specimens remain from one species. With T. rex, we may wonder how it grew, what it ate, how it moved; many other dinosaurs we can't ask that."

In the first decades after Henry Fairfield Osborne named and described the rex rex, paleontologists saw it as the culmination of the growth of land carnivores. Therefore, T. rex was considered a descendant of the Allosaurus, a 9-meter predator that lived more than 80 million years earlier. Both of them, along with other carnivorous giants, were united in the taxon Carnosauria, with T. rex considered as the last and largest member of the ferocious family.

But in the 1990s, a more rigorous research method, cladistic analysis, began to be applied, and the evolutionary relationships between groups of dinosaurs were revised. It turned out that the ancestors of T. rex "a were small furry creatures that lived in the shadow of the allosaurus and other predators of the Jurassic period.

According to the new view, T. rex and its closest relatives (Tyrannosauridae) represent the top branch on a large evolutionary "bush" called Tyrannosauroidea, which arose about 165 million years ago. Among the earliest members of this group is Stokesosaurus clevelandi, a 2-3 m long bipedal predator that lived about 150 million years ago.

Little is known about this creature, but other early tyrannosauroids suggest that Stokesosaurus most likely had a long, low skull and slender forelimbs. In the Jurassic size hierarchy, early tyrannosauroids were at the very bottom. “By today's standards, they were at the level of lapdogs,” Mr. Brusatte jokes.

How did it happen that, over time, tyrannosaurs ended up at the top of the food chain in North America and Asia? So far, history is silent on this. A very small number of rocks aged 90-145 million years were found (it was during this period that tyrannosaurs crushed competitors), so the biodiversity of those times was reconstructed very fragmentarily. Nothing can be said about changes in sea level and climate in general, which could lead to the dominance of this particular group.

Recently, the main attention of paleontologists studying this time interval has been riveted to China. In 2009, Peter Makowitzky of the Field Museum in Chicago (USA) and his colleagues described a long-snouted Tyrannosaurus rex called Xiongguanlong baimoensis, which was found in western China in rocks formed 100-125 million years ago.

In length, the animal reached almost four meters - a solid step forward compared to the tyrannosaurs of the Jurassic period. And in 2012, Xu Xing from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (PRC) and colleagues described a 9-meter tyrannosaurus named Yutyrannus huali, which belongs to the same era.

This may have been a crucial time interval when tyrannosaurs and allosaurs fought to the death for the same ecological niches. In the rocks from the north of China, Mr. Brusatte and his colleagues found the allosaurus Shaochilong maortuensis, 5-6 m long, which lived about 90 million years ago, that is, the sizes of competitors approximately coincided. But exactly when and why the tyrannosaurs won remains unknown.
It's just not interesting to portray our hero. He must be fighting someone! (Fig. ameeeeba.)

A similar situation with how T. rex looked in his youth. At the center of the discussion is Nanotyrannus lancensis, found in the same North American deposits as T. rex, and possibly growing in length over 6 m. At first it was considered a separate species, but some researchers see it as a minor T. rex "a.

According to Thomas Holtz, Jr. of the University of Maryland at College Park (USA), the differences between N. lancensis and T. rex resemble those between juveniles and adults of other tyrannosaur species. It should be noted that all samples of nanotyranus seem to him "minor".

Lawrence Whitmer of Ohio University (USA) does not think so. In 2010, he and his colleague Ryan Ridgley, following a CT scan of a skull from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (H. lancensis holotype), found unusual depressions in the skull and paranasal sinuses in the back of the skull, where air sacs were located during the dinosaur's life. With these formations, this specimen is very different from T. rex "a, which makes it possible to attribute the specimen to another species.

In addition to what was said, Peter Larson, president of the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research (USA), argues that the teeth of nanotyranus have too small serrations and are too densely packed. He also points out the differences in the anatomy of the glenoid cavity of the scapula and the openings in the skull.

However, critics have noted that some of this information was gleaned from the analysis of fossils that have not yet been described in the scientific literature. Moreover, scientists may even lose one of the key samples of nanotyranus, because in November it will be sold at auction in New York.

The hype has done its job: the specimen is estimated to fetch the owner $9 million. Most paleontologists simply refuse to consider fossils that are not freely available in a reputable museum. Does some private trader have the audacity to rob science?

“In the current situation, there is only one thing left - to advise again in a tired voice to look for other samples,” says Mr. Whitmer. For the nanotyrannus to be finally recognized as a separate species, either a young T. rex "a, more like an adult than a nanotyrannus, or the remains of an animal that was undoubtedly an adult nanotyrannus and clearly different from T. rex "and must be found. But Mr. Whitmer is pessimistic about the chances of stopping the discussion: "I don't know how much data is needed to convince everyone." T. rex is too charismatic, and views on it have already developed, so paleontologists will not simply abandon the usual opinion.

Another example of this is the controversy regarding the appearance of our hero. For generations, it has been depicted as being covered in scales like modern reptiles, although they are very distant relatives. But in the past two decades, specimens from many groups of dinosaurs with feathers and down have been discovered in China. Some of them are species closely related to T. rex.

In 2004, Mr. Xu described a small early Tyrannosaurus rex, Dilong paradoxus, with filament impressions around the tail, jaw, and other parts of the body. Is it a fluffy coat? The giant Y. huali was also feathered. The feathers of tyrannosaurus rexes were not like those of modern birds, but their primitive predecessors. According to Mr. Xu, they were primarily used for decoration, and later they were used for thermal insulation. It is possible that T. rex also proudly wore some kind of proto-feathers.

No, no one wants to say that T. rex looked like a chicken. We are talking about thin fibers, a kind of hairs - for example, on the muzzle.

Since not a single T. rex skin print has been found, all these are just assumptions, which is what skeptics use. Thomas Carr from Carthage College (USA) refers to skin prints of species close to T. rex that have not yet been described in the scientific literature " y, on which the scales are supposedly clearly visible. Well, it's entirely possible that early tyrannosauroids had feathers, but the subgroup of tyrannosaurids that includes T. rex evolved to abandon them in favor of scales.

The issue of feathers is very important not only for artists who no longer know how to depict the ancient miracle Yudo. If there were feathers, then we can assume some kind of mating games and talk about how the tyrannosaurus regulated body temperature.

Another secret is the giant's small hands. They are so short that you can't even reach your mouth with them. Paleontologists are all right with fantasy, and for a hundred years the most exotic hypotheses have been expressed: they say, it was so convenient to hug a partner during mating or climb steep slopes. Gradually, the opinion was established that the forelimbs are a rudiment. Countless cartoonists to this day depict tyrannosaurs, which on this basis are pursued by one embarrassment after another.

But Sarah Birch from Ohio University (USA) believes that such jokes are unfair. She studied the musculature of crocodiles and the only living descendants of dinosaurs, birds. If the arms of T. rex were indeed useless vestiges, they did not have any significant muscles, but the fossils retained signs that very significant muscles were attached to the bones.

History of study

general description

The front two-toed limbs are relatively small in comparison with the powerful legs. The tail is long and heavy. The spine consists of 10 cervical, 12 thoracic, five sacral and about 40 tail vertebrae. The neck, like that of other theropods, is S-shaped, but short and thick to support a massive head. Some bones of the skeleton have voids, thus reducing the overall mass of the body without significant loss of strength. The body weight of an adult tyrannosaurus reached 6-7 tons, the largest individuals (Sue) could weigh about 9.5 tons.

The largest known Tyrannosaurus skull is 1.53 m long. There is a fragment of the jaw (UCMP 118 742), the length of which could be 1.75 meters, the estimated weight of the owner of such a jaw could reach 12 - 15 tons. The shape of the skull differs significantly from that of theropods from other families: it is extremely wide at the back, and the skull is strongly narrowed at the front. According to experts, with such a structure of the skull, tyrannosaurs had excellent binocular vision. The structural features of the skull bones in the tyrannosaurid family make their bite incomparably more powerful than other theropods. The tip of the upper jaws is U-shaped (in most other carnivorous theropods it is V-shaped), which increases the amount of meat and bones that a Tyrannosaurus rex can tear off in one bite, albeit at the expense of additional load on the front teeth.

Tyrannosaurus rex teeth vary in shape. D-shaped in cross section, the anterior teeth fit snugly together. They are bent inside the mouth and reinforced with ridges on the back side. The location and shape of the front teeth reduce the risk of them being pulled out during biting and tugging. The inner teeth are more banana-shaped than dagger-shaped. They are more widely spaced, but also have ridges that reinforce strength on the back side. The full (including the root) length of the largest tooth found is estimated at 30 cm. This is the longest tooth found among all carnivorous dinosaur teeth.

Tyrannosaurus rex moved on its hind limbs, like other members of the tyrannosaurid family.

A tyrannosaurus rex running at 5 m/s needs almost 6 liters of oxygen gas per second, which also leads to the idea that tyrannosaurus rex is warm-blooded.

Evolution

At about the same time as the tyrannosaurus, an almost indistinguishable species lived on the territory of present-day Asia - tarbosaurus. Tarbosaurs had a slightly more elegant structure and slightly smaller sizes.

Feeding method

It has not been definitively established whether tyrannosaurs were carnivores or whether they fed on carrion.

Many large herbivorous dinosaurs had protection on their backs, which indicates the danger of being attacked by a high predator with powerful jaws.

Tyrannosaurs are predators and scavengers. Many scientists believe that tyrannosaurs could have had a mixed diet, like, for example, modern lions - predators, but can eat the remains of animals killed by hyenas.

Way to travel

The mode of movement of the tyrannosaurus rex remains a controversial issue. Some scientists are inclined to the version that they could run, reaching a speed of 40-70 km / h. Others believe that tyrannosaurs walked, not ran.

“Apparently,” writes HG Wells in the famous “Outlines of the History of Civilization,” “tyrannosaurs moved like kangaroos, relying on a massive tail and hind legs. Some scientists even suggest that the Tyrannosaurus rex moved by jumping - in this case, it must have had absolutely incredible muscles. A jumping elephant would be much less impressive. Most likely, the tyrannosaurus hunted herbivorous reptiles - the inhabitants of the swamps. Half immersed in liquid swamp mud, he pursued his victim through the channels and lakes of swampy plains, such as the current Norfolk swamps or the Everglades swamps in Florida.

Opinion about bipedal dinosaurs - the likeness of kangaroos was widespread until the middle of the 20th century. Examination of the tracks, however, showed no tail prints. All carnivorous dinosaurs kept their body horizontal when walking, the tail served as a counterweight and balancer. In general, the tyrannosaurus is close in appearance to a huge running bird.

Phylogenesis

Recent studies of proteins found while examining a fossil T. rex femur have shown dinosaurs to be closely related to birds. Tyrannosaurus is descended from small carnivorous dinosaurs of the late Jurassic era, not from carnosaurs. The currently known small ancestors of Tyrannosaurus (such as the dilong from the Early Cretaceous of China) were feathered with fine, hair-like feathers. The Tyrannosaurus rex itself may not have had feathers (known impressions of the skin of the thigh of a Tyrannosaurus rex bear a pattern of polygonal scales typical of dinosaurs).

Tyrannosaurus in popular culture

Thanks to its huge size, huge teeth and other impressive attributes, in the 20th century, the Tyrannosaurus Rex became one of the most recognizable dinosaurs in the world. That is why he often became a "supermonster" - a killer dinosaur in films such as The Lost World, King Kong, etc. The main and most memorable film with the participation of a tyrannosaurus is Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park, where this character has undergone careful study and therefore looked very impressive.
In the sequel - the film "Jurassic Park 2" - there was already a whole family of tyrannosaurs - a male and a female with a cub, which significantly reduced their negative role; moreover, the tyrannosaurs' pursuit of the film's heroes, and then the rout perpetrated by the male tyrannosaurus on the streets of San Diego, was to some extent justified by their parental instinct and desire to save their cub.
Ultimately, in the movie Jurassic Park 3, the developers needed a new dinosaur to play the role of the main villain, and their choice fell on the Egyptian spinosaurus. The Tyrannosaurus Rex himself appeared in the film only sporadically.

The Tyrannosaurus rex is featured in many documentaries such as Walking with Dinosaurs, The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs, and more. It was most accurately presented in the Dino Fighting series of documentaries.

The image of a tyrannosaurus rex "rooted" in cartoons as well. Under the name "Pointed Tooth", the tyrannosaurus appears as the main negative character in the popular series of American full-length cartoons "The Land Before Time", whose characters are dinosaurs.

Tyrannosaurus also became a character in a number of animated series about transformers. So, in his "image and likeness" Trypticon was created - a colossal transformer, a city-fortress of the Decepticons. He is also the "mount" of Zadavala, the commander of the "Fighting Dinosaurs" squad in the Transformers: Victory series. The leader of the predacons Megatron in the TV series "Beast Wars" transforms into a tyrannosaurus rex (as the most terrible earthly creature), when the transformers, having got to the prehistoric Earth, take the form of terrestrial animals - both living and extinct. However, the appearance of a tyrannosaurus is taken not only by carriers of an evil inclination: Grimlock, the commander of a group of Dinobots, is also transformed into a tyrannosaurus rex - not particularly smart, but powerful robotscreated by the Autobots and fighting with them against the Decepticons.

Tyrannosaurus is also seen in the Dino Crisis series of games. In Dino Crisis, he is the strongest dinosaur (as well as in Dino Stalker) throughout the game, and in Dino Crisis 2, only at the end of the game does the tyrannosaurus presumably die in the fight against the giganotosaurus, which is represented in the game by a much larger one (length over 20 meters) than is known from fossils. In the computer game ParaWorld, the Tyrannosaurus Rex is the strongest unit in the Desert Race and the strongest unit in the game. In the game, the Tyrannosaurus Rex is much larger than in reality.

Notes

Erickson, Gregory M.; Makovicky, Peter J.; Currie, Philip J.; Norell, Mark A.; Yerby, Scott A.; & Brochu, Christopher A. (2004). "Gigantism and comparative life-history parameters of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs". Nature 430 (7001): 772–775. DOI:10.1038/nature02699.
Brochu Christopher A. Osteology of Tyrannosaurus Rex: Insights from a Nearly Complete Skeleton and High-resolution Computed Tomographic Analysis of the Skull. - Northbrook, Illinois: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2003.
see en:Denver Formation
see en:Lance Formation
Breithaupt, Brent H.; Elizabeth H. Southwell and Neffra A. Matthews (2005-10-18). "In Celebration of 100 years of Tyrannosaurus Rex: Manospondylus gigas, Ornithomimus grandis, and Dynamosaurus Imperiosus, the Earliest Discoveries of Tyrannosaurus Rex in the West" in 2005 Salt Lake City Annual Meeting . Abstracts with Programs 37 : 406, Geological Society of America. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
, p. 81-82
, p. 122
, p. 112
, p. 113
, - Northern State University:: Aberdeen, SD
Montana State University (2006-04-07). Museum unveils world "s largest T-rex skull. Press release . Retrieved 2008-09-13.
Mickey Mortimer (2003-07-21). And the Largest Theropod Is..... Press release . Retrieved 2012-04-20.
Stevens, Kent A. (June 2006). "Binocular vision in theropod dinosaurs" (PDF). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26 (2): 321–330. DOI:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)262.0.CO;2.
Jaffe, Eric (2006-07-01). "Sight for" Saur Eyes: T. rex vision was among nature "s best". science news 170 (1): 3. DOI:10.2307/4017288. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
Holtz, Thomas R. (1994). "The Phylogenetic Position of the Tyrannosauridae: Implications for Theropod Systematics". Journal of Palaeontology 68 (5): 1100–1117. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
Paul, Gregory S. Predatory dinosaurs of the world: a complete illustrated guide. - New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988. - ISBN 0-671-61946-2 Pattern:Pn
Sue's vital statistics. Sue at the Field Museum. Field Museum of Natural History. (unavailable link - story) Retrieved September 15, 2007.
All large dinosaurs were warm-blooded
Mutant Tyrannosaurus rex fossil found in Mongolia
T. rex, Meet Your Great-Grandfather Science Magazine September 17, 2009
El antepasado enano del Tiranosaurio Rex El Mundo.es September 17, 2009 (Spanish)
Denver W. Fowler, Holly N. Woodward, Elizabeth A. Freedman, Peter L. Larson, & John R. Horner. Reanalysis of "Raptorex kriegsteini": A Juvenile Tyrannosaurid Dinosaur from Mongolia // PloS ONE. - 2011. - Vol. 6. - No. 6. - PMID 21738646.
Horner, J.R. and Lessem, D. (1993). The Complete T. rex : How Stunning New Discoveries Are Changing Our Understanding of the World's Most Famous Dinosaur. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Sue at The Field Museum
David W.E. Hhone and Mahito Watabe. New information on scavenging and selective feeding behavior of tyrannosaurs. (PDF)
Tyrannosaurus Rex recognized as a cannibal (Russian). Membrana (October 19, 2010). Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2010.

Tirex (Tyrannosaurus Rex) is by far the most popular dinosaur that lived on our planet. He became the hero of a huge number of books, films, TV shows and even video games.

For a very long time, Tirex was considered the most powerful carnivore that ever walked the Earth.

10 Little-Known Facts About Tirex

1 Tyrannosaurus Rex Was Not The Largest Carnivorous Dinosaur

Most people subconsciously believe that the North American Tyrannosaurus Rex, at 12 meters long from head to tail and weighing up to 9 tons, was the largest carnivorous dinosaur that ever walked the planet. However, an interesting fact is that in ancient times there were two types of dinosaurs that exceeded Tirex in size - this is the South American Giganotosaurus, which weighed about nine tons and grew up to 14 meters long, and the North African Spinosaurus, which weighed more than 10 tons. Unfortunately, these theropods never had the opportunity to fight among themselves, because they lived in different times and in different lands, they were separated by thousands of miles and millions of years.

2. Tirex's front legs weren't as tiny as many people think.

One Tyrannosaurus Rex anatomical feature that many people scoff at is its front legs, which appear disproportionately tiny compared to the rest of its massive body. But in reality, T. Rex's front legs were over 1 meter long and may have been capable of lifting up to 200 kg.

You will be interested to know that the most caricature-tiny front legs belong to the giant Carnotaurus. His arms were like tiny bumps.

3. Tirex had very bad breath.

Of course, most dinosaurs of the Mesozoic era did not have the ability to brush their teeth, and very few of them were denticulate. Some experts believe that the remains of rotten meat contaminated with bacteria that were constantly present between the terrible teeth made the bite of the Tirex poisonous. Such a bite would infect (and ultimately kill) the bitten victim. The problem is that this process would probably take days or weeks.

4 Female Tireks Were Bigger Than Males

We don't know for sure yet, but there is good reason to believe (based on the size of T. rex fossils found and the shape of their hips) that female T. rex outsized their males by 800 kg, a sign of sexual dimorphism.

What for? The most likely reason is that the females of the species had to lay huge eggs, which is why evolution gave females such large thighs, or perhaps females were simply more experienced hunters than males (as is the case with modern lions) and consumed more food.

5. The average lifespan of a Tirex was about 30 years.

It is difficult to infer the lifespan of dinosaurs from their fossilized remains, but based on the analysis of skeletal specimens found, paleontologists suggest that Tyrannosaurus Rex may have lived up to 30 years. Since this dinosaur was at the top of the food chain in its range, most likely its death was from old age, disease, or starvation, and not from fights with predators. Very rarely, a Tyrannosaurus rex could die from the teeth of another predator when it was too young and weak. (By the way, in parallel with T. Rex, Titanosaurs may have lived, whose weight exceeded 50 tons, their life expectancy was about 100 years!)

6. Tirex was hunting and picking up carrion

For years, paleontologists have debated whether T. Rex was a vicious killer, or a commonplace scavenger, that is, did he actively hunt, or pick up the carcasses of dinosaurs that died of old age or disease? Today, these contradictions seem rather strange, since the Tyrannosaurus Rex could use these two ways of subsistence simultaneously, like any massive predatory animal that constantly wanted to satisfy its hunger.

7 T. Rex Hatchlings May Have Feathered

We all know that dinosaurs are the progenitors of birds, and that some carnivorous dinosaurs (especially carnivores) were covered in feathers. Consequently, some paleontologists believe that all tyrannosaurs, including T. rex, must have been covered in feathers at some point in their life cycle, most likely when they first hatched from their eggs. This conclusion is supported by the discovery of feathered Asian tyrannosaurs such as Dilong and the nearly equal T. rex Yutyrannus.

8. Tyrannosaurus Rex, most of all loved to hunt triceratops

If you think that Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was the most brutal boxing fight, then you are greatly mistaken. Imagine a hungry eight-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex attacking a five-ton Triceratops! Such an unthinkable fight could certainly happen, since both of these dinosaurs lived in the late Cretaceous period in the lands of North America. Of course, the average T. Rex would prefer to deal with a sick or newly hatched Triceratops. But if he was too hungry, large individuals became his victims.

Back in 1996, a team of scientists from Stanford University, who studied the skull of this dinosaur, determined that T. Rex bit its prey with a force of 700 to 1400 kg. per square inch, the largest modern alligators bite with the same force. More detailed examination of the skulls showed that its bite force was in the range of 2,300 kilograms per square inch. (For comparison, an average adult can bite with about 80 kg per inch of force). The powerful jaws of the T. Rex could even bite through the horns of Ceratops himself!

10 Tyrannosaurus Rex Was Originally Named Manospondylus

When famed paleontologist Edward Pinker Cope unearthed the first fossilized T. Rex skeleton in 1892, he referred to it as "Manospondylus gigax - Greek" "giant slender vertebrae". After further spectacular fossil searches, it was the then-president of the American Museum of Natural History, Henry Fairfield Osborn, who gave the immortal name Tyrannosaurus Rex, "the tyrant king lizard."

Niramin - May 30th, 2016

Tyrannosaurus (a detachment of lizards, a family of tyrannosaurus) is one of the most famous dinosaurs that lived in the last era of the Cretaceous period, 68 - 65 million years ago. He was one of the largest, if not the largest among the giant lizards. The body length of these animals averaged 12 m, height - 6 m, and weight - 7 tons. Strong, sawtooth teeth, about 15 cm in size, securely held the prey. The powerful and mobile neck contrasted with the tiny forelimbs, which had two fingers each.

Scientists suggest that tyrannosaurs ate in much the same way as modern lions, that is, they hunted herbivorous representatives of the flora and did not neglect carrion. Most often, duck-billed dinosaurs became their victims. Since the latter were running fast, predators attacked them from ambush.

Zoologists have long wondered why this carnivore had such short front legs. Most believe they were used to get up after sleep.

Fossils in the form of several teeth of a tyrannosaurus rex were found back in the 19th century. However, it was not possible to determine to whom they belonged. Only in 1905, when archaeologists unearthed two almost complete skeletons, did the British scientist Osborn give this species of lizards his name (Tyrannosaurus rex) and describe them.

The remains of giant predators were found in the USA (Montana, Texas and Wyoming), Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan), Mongolia in Asia. In 2011, Chinese scientists discovered a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton with feather impressions in Liaoning province and suggested that it probably belonged to a young specimen, and primitive plumage served to protect from the cold.

Tyrannosaurus rex in pictures and photos:

Photo: Tyrannosaurus rex - skeleton.