Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus Rex (meaning 'tyrant lizard'), is a genus of theropod dinosaur. The species Tyrannosaurus rex ('rex' meaning 'king' in Latin), commonly abbreviated to T. rex, is a fixture in popular culture. It lived throughout what is now western North America, with a much wider range than other tyrannosaurids. It lived in the Late Cretaceous, 68 - 65 million years ago. Each tooth was the size of a banana, and there were sixty of them in its mouth, which could bite down with twice the force of a great-white shark. It was among the last non-avian dinosaurs to exist prior to the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event.

Fact File

Length: 12 - 14 metres

T-Rex

Height: 6 metres

Weight: Up to 7 tonnes

Diet: Carnivorous

Hunting

T-rex would have hunted prey like Edmontosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Triceratops and Ankylosaurus. It may have actually hunted them actively, or scavenged their carcasses, but most likely it did both. T-rex could crush bone, allowing it to digest nutritional parts like the marrow, which other dinosaurs couldn't reach. Tyrannosaurus couldn't chew, so it swallowed meat whole. They may have competed over carcasses, or even hunted in packs. Tyrannosaurus rex may have been an apex predator, preying upon hadrosaurs and ceratopsians, although some experts have suggested it was primarily a scavenger. The debate over Tyrannosaurus as apex predator or scavenger is among the longest running debates in paleontology.

Famous Tyrannosaurus Rexes

Sue

Sue at the Field Museum

Sue was a Tyrannosaurus discovered in 1990 by palaeontologist Sue Hendrickson. Sue is the most complete and well-preserved T-rex ever, as well as being the largest. The skeleton was auctioned in October 1997 for US $7.6 million, the highest ever paid for a dinosaur specimen. Sue currently resides at the Chicago Field Museum.

Stan

Cast of Stan at the Manchester Museum

Stan was a male Tyrannosaurus found in South Dakota by Stan Sacrison, and excavated by Peter Larson.

AMNH 5027

AMNH 5027

This Tyrannosaurus has no actual name, but is famous nonetheless. It was discovered in Montana in 1907 by Barnum Brown, and was the first complete skeleton. It currently is exhibited in the American Museum of Natural History and was even mentioned in the novel Jurassic Park.

London Natural History Museum's Robotic T-Rex

The robotic T-rex at the London Natural History Museum

In the Natural History Museum at London there is a robotic T-rex. It is only adolescent, but it is still very large. Its head moves, to make it seem lifelike.

Popular Culture

Main Article: Tyrannosaurus in popular culture