Tyrannosaurus is a predatory dinosaur. Deadly Tyrannosaurus T-Rex (Tyrannosaurus, T-Rex) Tyrannosaurus description
Mysteries of the Tyrannosaurus Rex
At the end of 1905, newspapermen wrote 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 fearsome fighting animal in history. More than a hundred years have passed, and Tyrannosaurus rex continues to excite the imagination of the public and paleontologists.
More than 12 meters from snout to tail, dozens of sharp teeth the size of a railroad spike: the 66-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex is not just one of the prehistoric predators, but an icon of ancient horror. He is so charismatic that a routine paleontological discussion can be blown out of proportion.
This happened last year: 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 this 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.
What is discussed is what role living and dead animals played in his diet. What is especially unfortunate 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 which of the tiny dinosaurs Jurassic period(201-145 million years ago) kings grew up Cretaceous period(145-66 million years ago). What T. rex looked like as a juvenile is heavily debated, with suspicions that some specimens described decades ago as distinct species are actually juveniles of other species.
Even the appearance of the tyrannosaurus remains controversial: many argue that the giant body was covered with fluff and feathers, and not scales. The scandalous question of why the animal had such a massive head and legs, but tiny forelimbs, has not gone away.
Fortunately, there is enough material. “There are plenty of fossils,” reports Stephen Brusatte from the University of Edinburgh (UK). “It’s rare that so many good specimens remain from one species.” With T. rex, we can ask questions about how it grew, what it ate, how it moved; We can’t ask that for many other dinosaurs.”
In the first decades after Henry Fairfield Osborn named and described Tyrannosaurus rex, paleontologists saw it as the culmination of the rise of land carnivores. Therefore, T. rex was considered a descendant of Allosaurus, a 9-meter predator that lived more than 80 million years earlier. Both of them, along with other carnivorous giants, were combined into the taxon Carnosauria, with T. rex considered the last and most major representative ferocious family.
But in the 1990s, a more rigorous research method, cladistic analysis, began to be used, and the evolutionary relationships between dinosaur groups were reconsidered. It turned out that the ancestors of T. rex were small furry creatures that lived in the shadow of Allosaurus and other predators of the Jurassic period.
According to new thinking, T. rex and its closest relatives (Tyrannosauridae) represent the top branch of 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 provide evidence: Stokesosaurus, more likely, had a long, low skull and thin forelimbs. In the Jurassic size hierarchy, early tyrannosauroids were at the very bottom. “By today's standards, they were at the level of lap dogs,” Mr. Brusatte jokes.
How did it happen that over time the tyrannosaurs came to the top? the food chain North America and Asia? So far history is silent about this. A very small number of rocks aged 90-145 million years have been found (it was during this period that tyrannosaurs crushed their competitors), so the biodiversity of those times has been 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.
IN Lately The main focus of paleontologists studying this time interval is on China. In 2009, Peter Makovicki of the Field Museum in Chicago (USA) and his colleagues described a long-snouted tyrannosaurus called Xiongguanlong baimoensis, which was found in western China in rocks formed 100-125 million years ago.
The animal reached almost four meters in length - 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 his colleagues described a 9-meter tyrannosaurus named Yutyrannus huali, which belongs to the same era.
Perhaps this was a decisive time interval when tyrannosaurs and allosaurs waged a mortal struggle for the same ecological niches. In rocks from northern China, Mr. Brusatte and his colleagues found the 5-6 m long allosaurus Shaochilong maortuensis, which lived about 90 million years ago, that is, the size of the competitors was approximately the same. But exactly when and why the tyrannosaurs won remains unknown.
It’s just not interesting to portray our hero. He's definitely fighting with someone! (Fig. ameeeeba.)
The situation is similar with what T. rex looked like in its youth. At the center of the debate is Nanotyrannus lancensis, found in the same North American sediments as T. rex, and possibly growing over 6 m in length. At first it was thought a separate species, but some researchers see it as a juvenile T. rex.
According to Thomas Holtz Jr. of the University of Maryland, College Park, USA, the differences between N. lancensis and T. rex are reminiscent of the differences between juveniles and adults of other tyrannosaur species. It should be noted that all nanotyranus samples seem to be “minor” to him.
Lawrence Whitmer of Ohio University (USA) doesn't think so. In 2010, he and his colleague Ryan Ridgley, using a CT scan of a skull from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (the holotype of N. lancensis), discovered unusual depressions in the braincase and paranasal sinuses at the back of the skull, where air sacs were located during the dinosaur's life. These formations make this specimen very different from T. rex, which makes it possible to classify the specimen as a different species.
In addition to the above, Peter Larson, president of the Black Hills Geological Research Institute (USA), argues that nanotyranus teeth have too fine serrations and are too tightly packed. He also points out 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 literature. scientific literature. Moreover, scientists may even lose one of the key samples of nanotyranus, because in November it will be auctioned in New York.
The hype did its job: it is estimated that the specimen will bring the owner $9 million. Most paleontologists simply refuse to take into account fossils that are not in free access in a respected museum. Is it possible that some private owner will have the audacity to rob science?
“In this situation, there is only one thing left to do - to again advise in a tired voice to look for other samples,” Mr. Whitmer says. For Nanotyranus to be definitively recognized as a separate species, either a juvenile T. rex would need to be found, more similar to the adult than Nanotyranus, or the remains of an animal that was undoubtedly an adult Nanotyranus and clearly different from T. rex. But Mr. Whitmer is pessimistic about the chances of ending the debate: "I don't know how much data it will take to convince everyone." T. rex is too charismatic, and views on it have already been formed, so paleontologists will not simply abandon their usual opinion.
Another example of this is the controversy regarding appearance our hero. From generation to generation he was depicted as covered with scales like modern reptiles, although they are very distant relatives. But in the last two decades, specimens of many groups of dinosaurs with feathers and fur have been discovered in China. Some of them belong to species closely related to T. rex.
In 2004, Mr. Xu described a small early tyrannosaurus, Dilong paradoxus, with fiber impressions around the tail, jaw and other parts of the body. Is it really a down coat? The giant Y. huali was also feathered. The feathers of tyrannosaurs were not the same as those of modern birds, but their primitive predecessors. According to Mr. Xu, they served primarily as decoration and were later 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 was like a chicken. We are talking about thin fibers, a kind of hairs - for example, on the muzzle.
Since not a single skin print of T. rex has been found, these are all 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 possible that early tyrannosauroids had feathers, but the subgroup of tyrannosaurids that includes T. rex evolved to abandon them in favor of scales.
The question of feathers is very important not only for artists who no longer know how to depict the ancient miracle of Yudo. If there were feathers, then we can assume some mating games and discuss how Tyrannosaurus rex regulated its 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 have everything in order with their imagination, and over a hundred years the most exotic hypotheses have been put forward: they say, it was convenient to squeeze a partner in your arms during mating or climb steep slopes. Gradually, the opinion became established that the forelimbs were a rudiment. Countless cartoonists to this day depict tyrannosaurs, which are haunted by one embarrassment after another on this basis.
But Sarah Birch from Ohio University (USA) believes that such jokes are unfair. She studied the muscles of crocodiles and the only living descendants of dinosaurs - birds. If T. rex's arms were indeed useless vestiges, they would not have had any significant muscles, but the fossils show evidence that quite a bit of muscle was attached to the bones.
Tyrannosaur- dinosaur of the Cretaceous period. Tyrannosaur- a representative of saurian theropod dinosaurs, the infraorder of tyrannosaurids. Tyrannosaur was one of the largest land predatory lizards that ever existed on our planet. Tyrannosaur- a representative of the tyrannosaurid family. Among the predators of its time, Tyrannosaurus was the largest. Business card tyrannosaurus is the power of his jaws. Tyrannosaur was not the largest of theropods Mesozoic era, but in terms of bite force he had no equal.
Thanks to numerous films, tyrannosaur gained wide popularity. Maybe, tyrannosaur the most famous of the dinosaurs. His image can be seen on advertisements of some companies or products.
Limbs and body structure of a tyrannosaurus:
Spine tyrannosaurus consists of 10 cervical, 12 thoracic, five sacral and about 40 caudal vertebrae. The dinosaur's tail is thick and heavy. With his help tyrannosaur kept balance while running. The tail also helped during turns. Some of the bones of the skeleton were hollow inside, which made it possible to slightly reduce body weight without reducing the strength of the skeleton as a whole.
| Tyrannosaur moved on powerful hind legs. The paws had 4 toes with sharp claws. Three fingers were facing forward and one back. They were fastened together for stability. The fourth finger was on back side paws and never touched the ground. Perhaps it served to rip open the victim's flesh or to hold it. Paws tyrannosaurus were well developed and supported the entire weight of a multi-ton predator. There is still debate about the speed at which he moved tyrannosaur. According to one version, tyrannosaur could not reach a speed of more than 5-7 km/h. According to another version, tyrannosaur could reach speeds of up to 40 km/h, but could not suddenly change direction. Also tyrannosaurus Although he moved at a decent speed, due to his size, he probably could not run for a long time. |
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tyrannosaurus paw |
structure of a tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurus rex diet:
Tyrannosaurus was a carnivorous predatory dinosaur, but studies of its fossilized remains do not provide a clear answer about the method of obtaining food. Despite the terrifying appearance, the version that tyrannosaur was ruthless killer overtaking everything and everyone. As already mentioned, his main weapon was a powerful jaw studded with large and razor-sharp teeth. But at the same time, its forelimbs were extremely poorly developed, and its body was very massive.
Version 1 - scavenger:
There is an assumption that tyrannosaur- any character who loves films about dinosaurs and the embodiment of uncontrollable rage, not only did not disdain the carcasses of dead dinosaurs, but also ate mainly on them. This assumption is based on studies of fossil remains tyrannosaurus. American scientists who examined the remains came to the conclusion that the massive, multi-ton body was unlikely to allow tyrannosaurus pursue quickly fleeing prey like the lighter Allosaurus, or even more so Deinonychus and Utahraptor.Conclusions that tyrannosaur was more of a carrion eater than a hunter based on the results of a CT scan. Research, restored brain tyrannosaurus, or rather, its forms make it possible to learn more about its functionality and the structural features of the “inner ear,” which is responsible not only for the auditory function. Research of the "inner ear" tyrannosaurus showed that its structure differed from the structure of a similar organ of “dexterous hunters”.
The next argument in favor of the fact that tyrannosaur was a scavenger are the results of studies of the lizard's vertebrae. The conclusion states that tyrannosaur had limitations in movement and his body was not adapted for various maneuvers and sharp turns. Also big dagger-shaped teeth tyrannosaurus More suitable for leisurely grinding of bones. Such teeth are hardly needed by a “cold-blooded killer” who feeds on fresh meat and moves on, leaving the carcass for a feast for corpse eaters.
Modern and most likely prehistoric large animals are extremely slow. Wherein tyrannosaur due to its weight, it could seriously injure or even break ribs and legs if it fell. Small front paws with two fingers could hardly help in hunting. Therefore, it is very likely that the main food of the tyrannosaurus was fallen dinosaurs.
Version 2 - hunter:
Despite the fact that the “scavenger” version has a fairly good justification, the “hunter” version is no less popular among paleontologists and is very much “promoted” by the creators of films about dinosaurs. And don't forget that tyrannosaur owner of the most powerful bite of any land animal of all time. Not a single bone could withstand the bite of this giant.
Main prey tyrannosaurus were herbivores torosaurs ,
Triceratops ,anatotitans and other dinosaurs. Considering the size, it can be assumed that tyrannosaur could not pursue the fleeing dinosaurs for long, and he had to overtake the victim in one jerk. It is known that tyrannosaur had binocular vision and could accurately estimate and calculate the distance to the victim. More likely, tyrannosaur attacked a potential victim from an ambush. Moreover, most likely, he more often attacked young or old and weakened dinosaurs than adults and full strength. After all, some herbivorous dinosaurs, such as Triceratops or ankylosaur, could not only run away, but give a serious rebuff. Groups of dinosaurs were especially good at defending themselves. A modern confirmation of this opinion is a herd of buffalo. Even formidable lions do not always attack such large and powerful herbivores.
Tyrannosaurs They were loners and each hunted in their own territory, which measured hundreds of square kilometers. From time to time, skirmishes for territory arose between the lizards, in which one of them may have died. At such a moment, the lizards did not disdain the meat of their relatives.
More likely tyrannosaur, after all, he was a hunter, but he could also eat a dead dinosaur. Also, given its size and power, tyrannosaur could take prey from other predators.
Tyrannosaurus Reproduction:
Tyrannosaurs were loners, at least the adults. Their hunting territories measured hundreds of square kilometers. The female, with a characteristic roar, called for the wandering male. The process of courting a female is not an easy task for a male. Females tyrannosaurs larger and more aggressive than males. Therefore, it took a lot of effort for the male to win her over. The best remedy for this purpose there was a carcass of some kind of dinosaur as a treat. The mating process is not long. After this, the male leaves in search of food and other females, and the female prepares to become a mother and builds a nest in which she will lay eggs.
A few months later, the female tyrannosaurus laid 10 - 15 eggs in a nest located directly on the ground. It was very risky. They were scouring everywhere small predators who always didn't mind eating an egg tyrannosaurus. Therefore, after the eggs were laid, the female did not leave the nest. For two months, the female tirelessly guarded the nest with eggs. Tyrnosaurus nest attracts small egg hunters, e.g. drommaeosaurus. After two months, little ones are born tyrannosaurs. From the entire brood, 3-4 cubs are born.
During the Late Cretaceous period, the atmosphere was filled with gases that had a destructive effect on developing embryos. This is due to the great volcanic activity on earth during the Late Cretaceous period. Tyrannosaurs, despite their greatness and power, are doomed to death.
Tyrannosaurus was one of the largest land predators in the history of civilization, had excellent binocular vision and a well-developed sense of smell. With powerful sharp teeth, like giant scissors, he tore apart 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 USA.
The reptile walked on two legs, had tiny, short, two-fingered 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 ate 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, suggesting a well-developed sense of smell, which presumably served to detect rotting remains over vast distances;
powerful teeth, each 18 cm long, make it possible to crush bones, which is required not so much for killing as for extracting as much food as possible from what remains of the carcass, including bone marrow;
If we accept that tyrannosaurs walked and did not run (see below), and their prey moved much faster than them, then this can serve as evidence in favor of feeding on carrion.
Tyrannosaurs were brutal, aggressive killer predators.
There is evidence in favor of the predatory lifestyle of the tyrannosaurus:
the eye sockets are located in such a way that the eyes could look forward, providing the tyrannosaurus with binocular vision (allowing it to accurately judge distances), which is primarily required by the predator (although there are many exceptions);
bite marks on other animals and even other tyrannosaurs;
the comparative rarity of finds of tyrannosaurus remains, in any ecosystem the number large predators significantly fewer of 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 from another tyrannosaurus embedded in a cervical vertebra. If the assumptions are correct, then this indicates aggressive behavior tyrannosaurs towards each other, although the motive remains unclear: whether this was competition for food/mate or an example of cannibalism.
Later studies of these wounds showed that most of them were not traumatic, but infectious, 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 modern lions - predators, but could eat the remains of animals killed by hyenas.
The mode of movement of the Tyrannosaurus remains a controversial issue. Some scientists are inclined to believe that they could run, reaching speeds of 40-70 km/h. Others believe that tyrannosaurs walked, not ran.
“Apparently,” writes Herbert Wells in the famous “Essays on the History of Civilization,” “tyrannosaurs moved like kangaroos, relying on a massive tail and hind legs. Some scientists even suggest that the Tyrannosaurus moved by jumping - in this case, it must have had absolutely incredible muscles. A leaping elephant would be much less impressive. Most likely, the tyrannosaurus hunted herbivorous reptiles - inhabitants of swamps. Half immersed in liquid swamp mud, he pursued his prey through the channels and pools of swampy plains, such as the present-day Norfolk swamps or the Everglades swamps in Florida.
The idea of bipedal dinosaurs similar to kangaroos was widespread until the middle of the 20th century. Examination of the tracks, however, did not show the presence of tail prints. All predatory dinosaurs kept their bodies horizontal when walking, with the tail serving as a counterweight and balancer. In general, the tyrannosaurus is close in appearance to a huge running bird.
Recent studies of proteins found in a fossilized Tyrannosaurus rex femur have shown the dinosaurs' closeness to birds. Tyrannosaurus is descended from small carnivorous dinosaurs from the late Jurassic era, not from carnosaurs. The currently known small ancestors of Tyrannosaurus (for example, Dilong from the Early Cretaceous of China) were feathered with thin hair-like feathers. Tyrannosaurus Rex itself may not have had feathers (known impressions of the skin of the Tyrannosaurus rex thigh bear the typical dinosaur pattern of polygonal scales).
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Tyrannosaurus is the largest predator dinosaur that lived in North America at the end of the Cretaceous period (68-65 million years ago).
Description of appearance
The Tyrannosaurus rex fully corresponded to its characteristics of being the largest. The body length was almost 13 meters, height could reach 3.5-4 m, and weight was almost 8 tons.
The T. rex skeleton consists of 299 bones, of which 58 are allocated to the skull. The spine contains 10 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 sacral, 40 caudal vertebrae. The neck, like that of many other theropods, was S-shaped, but it was short and thick, which served as a device for holding a large head. Another feature of tyrannosaurs was hollow bones, which helped reduce the overall body mass without losing strength.
The shape of the skull was different from other theropods: it was wide at the back and narrowed at the front. Thanks to this, the dinosaur's eyes looked forward and not to the side. Consequently, T. rexes had developed binocular vision.
The forelimbs are small, with 2 active fingers. The hindquarters are strong and powerful with 3 toes. Theropods' tails were long and extremely heavy.
Due to the structural features of the skull, tyrannosaurs had a powerful bite. The teeth were different in shape. The D-shaped ones fit tightly together, were curved inward and had small serrations, and this reduced the risk of tearing out when biting and jerking.
The inner teeth were banana-shaped. Widely spaced, they enhanced the strength of the entire jaw.
The length of one tooth including the root, found among the remaining remains, is approximately 31 cm.
The running speed of the T. rex still causes heated debate, since the mass that the hind limb could withstand remains unknown. Some experts believe that tyrannosaurs had the most developed and voluminous leg muscles.
But studies conducted in 2002 found that the speed of theropods could have been no more than 40 km per hour. And studies in 2007 showed a figure of 29 km per hour.
Tyrannosaurus rex food
It is believed that T. rexes were carnivorous predators, but the studied remains do not allow us to give an exact answer to how they obtained food. There is a theory according to which tyrannosaurs cannot be considered ruthless and cold-blooded killers, since their only weapon was a powerful jaw. And the poorly developed forelimbs and huge body did not allow him to destroy everyone and everything.
There are 2 known versions describing the methods and types of nutrition of theropods.
Scavenger
This version is based on studies of the found remains of tyrannosaurs: most likely, they not only did not disdain the carcasses of their dead brothers, but also ate them with great pleasure. There are several facts in favor of this theory:
- Massive body, which weighed more than one ton, did not allow the T. rex to engage in long pursuits and tracking down prey.
- CT scan. Using a study of the restored dinosaur brain, it was possible to study in more detail the functionality and structural features of the “inner ear,” which is responsible not only for hearing. Tyrannosaurs had an “inner ear” that was different in structure from other dinosaurs, which were considered dexterous hunters.
- Vertebral studies. The giant lizard had some limitations in movement: maneuverability and agility were not his strengths.
- Teeth. The structure of T. rex teeth suggests that they are adapted for crushing and grinding bones, extracting large quantity food from remains, including bone marrow. As a rule, the teeth of dinosaurs that ate fresh meat were more fragile: after all, they simply ate the body.
- Slowness. The size of tyrannosaurs harmed their owner: if they fell, the lizard could damage or break ribs or legs. Slow reaction and clumsiness, short forelimbs and two fingers did not help the hunt.
Based on all the above facts, scientists came to the conclusion that the tyrannosaurus was a scavenger.
Hunter
The previous version with the T. rex being a scavenger has quite good justification, but some paleontologists are inclined to think that the giants were hunters. And the following facts speak in favor of this version:
- Powerful bite. His strength allowed the T. rex to break any bones.
- Herbivorous dinosaurs. It is possible that the main prey of theropods were torosaurs, triceratops, anatotitans and others. Due to its size, the giant lizard could not pursue its victims. Possessing binocular vision, Tyrannosaurus was presumably able to judge the distance between itself and its prey, attacking in one burst from an ambush. But, most likely, the choice fell on young or old and weakened dinosaurs.
The theory that the theropod was a hunter has one caveat: T. rexes still did not disdain the remains of dead dinosaurs.
It is known that tyrannosaurs were loners, hunting exclusively in their own territory.
But, for sure, there were clashes.
If one of them died, the giant ate the meat of the deceased relative.
It turns out that if the T. rex was not a pure scavenger.
It’s also a stretch to call him a hunter: he could still eat dead carcasses or take food from other dinosaurs.
Fortunately, his size allowed him to do this.
T. rex breeding
Adult theropods were loners. The territories in which they could hunt measured hundreds of km2.
When mating is necessary, the female calls the male with a characteristic roar. But even here everything was not easy. The courtship process took time and required effort.
Female tyrannosaurs were much larger and more aggressive than males.
In order to gain favor, the males had to bring the carcass of some pangolin as a treat.
The mating process itself was short-lived. After it, the male T. rex went in search of food or other females, and the fertilized female prepared to become a mother: she built a nest for laying eggs.
After a few months, the female theropod laid about 10-15 eggs.
Fossilized Tyrannosaurus Rex Eggs
But the nest was located directly on the ground, and this was extremely risky: after all, small predators could eat the laid offspring.
For the purpose of protection and protection, the female did not leave the eggs for 2 months.
After a couple of months, offspring hatched from the laid and carefully guarded eggs.
As a rule, only 3-4 cubs appeared from the entire brood.
This is explained by the fact that during the Late Cretaceous period, in which tyrannosaurs existed, the atmosphere was filled with gases due to volcanic activity.
They had a detrimental effect on the development of the embryo, destroying it from the inside. Thus, the T. rexes were already doomed to death.
History of finds
Fossils were first found in Hell Creek, Montana in 1900. The expedition was organized by the American Museum of Natural History and headed by B. Brown.
The remains obtained during this expedition were described by Henry Osborne in 1905. Then he classified the tyrannosaurus as Dynamosaurus imperiosus.
A reconstructed specimen of a tyrannosaurus obtained by B. Brown in 1902-1905.
1902: Fossil remains of a partial skeleton and incomplete skull discovered ( AMNH 973), the bones were removed over three years.
Henry Osborne in 1905 described the fossil data as Tyrannosaurus rex, and then the first remains were recognized Tyrannosaurus rex.
1906: The New York Times publishes an article about the first T. rex.
A partial skeleton of huge bones from the hind limbs and pelvis was installed in the American Museum.
1908: B. Brown discovered an almost complete specimen with a skull. G. Osborne described it in 1912.
1915: The first reconstruction of a complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex appeared at the American Museum of Natural History, with one drawback: the arms of a T. rex replaced the three-fingered limbs of an Allosaurus.
1967: W. Mac Manis, archaeologist, University of Montana, discovered the skull. The copy was assigned a number MOR 008. Scattered bones of an adult lizard were also found.
1980: The “black beauty” was found. Black Beauty received its name due to the dark color of the remains. J. Baker discovered a large bone on the banks of a river in Alberta. The excavation of the entire T. rex lasted a whole year. The sample is displayed in Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.
1988: Kathy Wankel, a farmer, found bones sticking out of the ground in the sediments of Hell Creek (Island national reserve Montana).
The specimen was not recovered until 1990 by a team at the Museum of the Rockies, led by Jack Horner.
It includes about half of the skeleton. It was here that complete theropod forelimbs were first discovered.
This sample is called "Wankel Rex" (MOR 555). He was about 18 years old at the time of his death. Mature but not mature maximum sizes dinosaur. These are the first fossils to show biological molecules in their bones.
1987: Tyrannosaurus, nicknamed Sten. Discovered by Stan Sakrison in Hardling County, South Dakota. Excavations were completed in 1992. The remains were initially thought to be those of a Triceratops.
Additional "Wall" bones were found in 1993 and 2003. The length of its body is 12 meters, the length of the skull is 1.3 m. Moreover, the T. rex had many pathologies: broken ribs, fused cervical vertebrae, holes in the back of the head from the teeth of relatives.
Real "Sue" skull
1990: Sue Hendrickson was lucky enough to discover the largest complete specimen of a Tyrannosaurus rex.
The remains are 73% complete. The length is 12.5 meters, the skull is 1.5 m.
1998-99: preparation and thorough cleaning of the found remains.
2000: the skeleton is completely mounted and presented to the public.
A study of "Sue" revealed that the individual was approximately 28 years old at the time of death. And it reached its maximum size by the age of 19.
1998: T. rex found " Bucky". It was discovered along with the bones of Edmontosaurus and Triceratops. Bucky is the first giant in whose bones a “fork” was discovered—fused collarbones in the shape of a “fork.”
Skeleton "Sue"
Its dimensions were: 29 cm wide and 14 cm high.
The “fork” is the link between dinosaurs and birds.
2010: Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton discovered " Tristan Otto". Carter County, Montana.
Excavations were completed in 2012, after which the bones were cleaned and processed over the course of 2 years.
49% were recovered with the skull intact.
The individual died at the age of 20. The body length was 12 m, height - 3.5 m, weight -7 tons.
2015: a copy of " Rees Rex". Hell Creek, northeastern Montana.
30% of the skeleton and a well-preserved skull were recovered, which is considered the most complete T. rex skull ever recovered.
Dinosaurs are a very diverse group of animals. Their total number is 1850 species, 75% of which are not discovered. They dominated the earth's ecosystem for more than 160 million years, and first appeared 230 million years ago. But at the end of the Cretaceous period (65 million years ago), a catastrophic extinction event ended the dominance of dinosaurs. I want to talk about the most ferocious and cruel predator of the entire era - the tyrannosaurus
Tyrannosaurs are titan lizards. The name comes from the Greek "tyranos" - tyrant, despot and "sauros" - lizard. It was first discovered in 1874 by professor of paleontology A. Lakes in Colorado
The most common places of discovery are North America(Canada, USA) and Asia (Mongolia)
Tyrannosaurs are characterized by massive cheekbones and short powerful necks. These dinosaurs moved on two powerful hind limbs, while the front ones were more like “small arms”. His tail helped him maintain balance. He acted as the so-called “steering wheel”. The limbs, in turn, were divided into fingers. The forelimbs had two toes, but the hind limbs had four, but one of them was bent upward and never touched the ground
Despite the fact that many dinosaurs could exceed it in size, T. rex remained the most powerful predator, with a height of more than 5 meters, a length of 14 meters and a weight of 7.5-8 tons. With such data, he could reach speeds of up to 5 m/s, because his step was 4 meters long
Given his data, he had a spine of 10 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 sacral and 40 caudal vertebrae. There is a debate among scientists about who the tyrannosaurs were: predators or scavengers? One thing is clear for sure, if the main food is carrion, then such a creature would not need such powerful and developed muscles and skeletal structure with such huge legs. This is a predator model, honed by evolution, a killing machine, up the food chain.
Paleontologists have found the largest skull belonging to a tyrannosaurus rex. It was 1.5 meters long and the largest tooth was 30 cm (including the root). Scientists calculated that the force of the bite pressure reached several tons. At one time he could bite off a piece of meat weighing 70 kg!!!
But despite their cruelty, female tyrannosaurs are very sensitive to their offspring. Before laying the eggs, she created a “nest”, disguising it under foliage. And within two months she will not only not leave the incubation site, but will not even eat!!! After all, her nest attracts scavengers. After the cubs are born, she will completely protect and feed them, but after two months she leaves them.
It is a pity that history has only hypotheses. These are unique animals, inimitable. If we knew more about them, the world would be more interesting and clearer to us...
