Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsTyrannosaurus rex was a huge North American meat-eater with powerful jaws, serrated teeth and fossil evidence of bone-crunching meals. But fossils do not answer every question: a tooth mark can show that a T. rex fed on another dinosaur without proving whether it killed that animal or scavenged its remains. Here are eight facts that separate what the evidence shows from what remains uncertain.
1. Its name means “tyrant lizard king”
Tyrannosaurus means “tyrant lizard,” and rex is Latin for “king.” Paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn named the species in 1905, according to the Australian Museum.
2. T. rex lived near the end of the Cretaceous
T. rex lived in North America roughly 68–66 million years ago. Museum summaries differ slightly on the older boundary: the Natural History Museum gives about 68–66 million years ago, while the American Museum of Natural History gives 69–66 million years ago. Both place it near the end of the Cretaceous Period.
Its discovery made an impression, too. In a 1902 letter about his Montana find, fossil hunter Barnum Brown wrote, “There is no question but that this is the find of the season.” The American Museum of Natural History reproduces the letter.
#1 Best Overall
3. It was enormous, but size estimates vary
A common estimate puts an adult T. rex at about 12 metres long and around 7,000 kilograms. The Australian Museum gives a broader length range of 12–14 metres and says adults could reach about 8,000 kilograms. These are estimates, not exact dimensions shared by every specimen; the result depends on the fossil being measured and how researchers reconstruct its body.
4. Its teeth were built for tearing and crushing
T. rex was a carnivore with powerful jaws and serrated teeth suited to gripping and tearing flesh. The Natural History Museum describes about 60 teeth, some up to 20 centimetres long. The Australian Museum gives a figure of around 30 centimetres when tooth roots are included, so those numbers use different measurement conventions.
Its feeding left fossil evidence, including marks on the bones of herbivorous dinosaurs such as Triceratops and Edmontosaurus. The fossils show contact between T. rex teeth and those animals’ bones; they do not, by themselves, reveal the full circumstances of each encounter.
5. Fossilized dung shows it swallowed bone
Fragments of bone have been found in fossilized T. rex dung, evidence that it swallowed at least some of its prey’s bones. Together with tooth-marked fossils, this supports the description of T. rex as a bone-crunching eater. It does not establish that every meal involved the same prey or feeding behaviour.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
6. It may have hunted and scavenged
A large brain region associated with processing smells may have helped T. rex locate prey or carcasses. That ability makes both hunting and scavenging plausible parts of its life. However, a particular set of tooth marks or a fossil meal cannot always tell whether the animal was killed by the T. rex that fed on it or was already dead.
7. Its arms were short, but their function is uncertain
T. rex had very short arms relative to its enormous body. Their exact function is difficult to establish from fossils, and more than one use may have been possible. Claims that the arms had one settled, specific purpose go beyond what the available evidence can prove.
Rank #4
8. Direct evidence for feathers on T. rex is lacking
The Natural History Museum reports that preserved skin from T. rex and close relatives shows scales, with no direct evidence currently supporting feathers on T. rex itself. Some other tyrannosaurs had feathers, but that does not establish that T. rex did, too. Fossil skin gives evidence for the parts preserved; it cannot settle every question about the animal’s appearance.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
