Size: 45 ft (14 m) long; 15 to 20 ft (4.6 to 6 m) tall
Protection status: Extinct
Did you know?
Tyrannosaurus means "tyrant lizard."
T.Rex existed for about 10 million years.
Evidence
The first reasonably complete female Tyrannosaurus skeleton was discovered by palaeontologist Barnum Brown in Hell Creek, Montana in 1902. Until this find only fragments had been unearthed. In all, over 20 individuals have been found, although, only three have complete skulls. Remains have been discovered from Alberta to New Mexico, all from rocks of the late Cretaceous period.
the Tyrannosaurus was the 4th largest of the "lizard-hipped" carnivorous dinosaurs known as theropods. It was a massive two legged predator with apowerful tail, large head and tiny arms.
the T-rex's primary weapon was its mouth, with a 1.2 metre long jaw and a 1 metre gape. Its curved serrated teeth were longer than a human hand. With these it could puncture an animal's organs, before tearing the flesh off. The terrible Tyrannosaurus could not chew, so had to swallow its food whole. It could probably gulp up to 70 kilograms in one go. One fossil shows the danger of this - a large carnivore had died swallowing, with two long bones stuck in its gullet.
It's tiny two-fingered arms seemed very small, but were believed to have been at least three times as strong as human arms. They were too short to reach it's mouth, but were probably used as meat-hooks. There is clear evidence that the tyrannosaurus fought one another from tooth-marks left in fossil remains.
Tyrannosaurus[]
70 to 65 million years ago
Late Cretaceous period
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Tyrannosaurus
( say
tie-RAN-oh-SAW-rus )
Tyrant Lizard
Carnivore
Dinosaur (theropod)
Up to 14.35 metres long
Up to 7.175 metres tall
Up to 10.7625 tonnes
USA (in Montana, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming), Canada (Alberta and Saskatchewan), and East Asia (Mongolia) as Tarbosaurus rex.
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Tyrannosaurus had powerful Jaw muscles and strong teeth that could easily crush bone.
The Tyrannosaurus was one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs that ever lived. Everything about this ferocious predator, from its thick, heavy skull to its 4-foot-long (1.2-meter-long) jaw, was designed for maximum bone-crushing action.
Fossil evidence shows that Tyrannosaurus rex was about 46 feet (14.0208 meters) long and about 15 to 23 feet (4.6-7.0104 meters) tall. Its strong thighs and long, powerful tail helped it move quickly, and its massive 5-foot-lon
T.Rex lived up to its reputation in Peter Jackson's Thriller 'King Kong'
g (1.5-meter-long) skull could bore into prey.
T. rex's serrated, coniailteeth were most likely used to pierce and grip flesh, which it then ripped away with its brawny neck muscles. Its two-fingered forearms could probably seize prey, but they were too short to reach its mouth.
Scientists believe this powerful predator could eat up to 500 pounds (230 kilograms) of meat in one bite. Fossils of T. rex prey, including Triceratops and Edmontosaurus, suggest T. rex crushed and broke bones as it ate, and broken bones have been found in its dung.
King Tyrannosaurus lived in forested river valleys in North America during the late Cretaceous period. It became extinct about 65 million years ago in the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction.
