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Tyrannosaurus (lat. Tyrannosaurus - “tyrant lizard) is a monotypic genus of predatory dinosaurs.
A group of coelurosaurs of the theropod suborder with the only valid species Tyrannosaurus rex (Latin rex - “king”).Habitat: about 67-65.5 million years ago in the last century Cretaceous period– Maastrichtian.
Habitat: West Side North America, which was then the island of Laramidia.
The last of the lizard-hipped dinosaurs that lived before the cataclysm that ended the era of dinosaurs.
Appearance
A bipedal predator with a massive skull balanced by a long, stiff and heavy tail. The front paws were very small, but very strong, and had two toes with large claws.
The largest species of its family, one of the largest representatives of theropods and the largest land predators in the entire history of the Earth.
Dimensions
The largest known complete skeleton, FMNH PR2081 "Sue", reaches a length of 12.3 meters and a hip height of 4 meters. The weight of this individual during life could reach 9.5 tons.
But fragments were found that belonged to even larger tyrannosaurs. Gregory S. Paul estimates the length of specimen UCMP 118742 (an 81 cm long maxilla) to be approximately 13.6 meters, the hip height to be 4.4 meters, and the mass to be 12 tons.
Lifestyle
Tyrannosaurus was the largest carnivore in its ecosystem and was most likely an apex predator - hunting hadrosaurs, ceratopsians and possibly sauropods. However, some researchers suggest that it fed mainly on carrion. Most scientists believe that Tyrannosaurus could both hunt and feed on carrion (it was an opportunistic predator).
Body type
Tyrannosaurus's neck, like other theropods, was S-shaped, short and muscular, supporting its massive head. The forelimbs had only two fingers with claws and a small metacarpal bone - a vestige of the third finger. The hind limbs were the longest relative to the body of any theropod.
The spine is composed of 10 cervical, 12 thoracic, five sacral and about 40 caudal vertebrae. The tail was heavy and long, serving as a balancer to balance the massive head and heavy body. Many of the bones of the skeleton were hollow, which greatly reduced their weight while maintaining almost the same strength.
Scull
The largest complete Tyrannosaurus rex skull found reaches a length of about one and a half meters. The skull of Tyrannosaurus rex was different from the skulls of large non-tyrannosaurid theropods. Its back was wide and its snout was narrow, thanks to which the lizard had highly developed binocular vision, allowing the brain to form a reliable model of space, estimating distances and sizes. Presumably this is in favor of predatory image life.
The nasal and some other bones of the skull were combined, preventing foreign objects from getting between them. The skull bones were air-filled and had paranasal sinuses, like other non-avian dinosaurs, which made them lighter and more flexible. These properties indicate a tendency in tyrannosaurids to increase their bite force, which significantly exceeded the bite force of all non-tyrannosaurid theropods in these lizards.
The end of the upper jaw was U-shaped, whereas in most non-tyrannosaurids it was V-shaped. This shape made it possible to increase the volume of tissue that the tyrannosaurus tore out of the victim’s body in one bite, and also increased the pressure of the lizard’s front teeth.
Tyrannosaurus rex has well-pronounced heterodontism, the difference in teeth in form and function.
The teeth on the front side of the upper jaw have a D-shaped cross-section, fit tightly together, are equipped with a chisel-shaped blade, reinforcing ridges and are curved inward. Thanks to this, the risk of breaking a tooth during biting and dragging the victim was reduced.
Other teeth are stronger and more massive, more banana-shaped than dagger-shaped, wider apart, and have reinforcing ridges.
The largest tooth found reached a height of 30 centimeters along with the root, being the largest carnivorous dinosaur teeth ever found.
Tyrannosaurids did not have lips; their teeth remained open, like modern crocodiles. On the snout there were large scales with pressure receptors.
Bite force
Research by paleontologists Carl Bates and Peter Falkingham in 2012 suggested that the bite force of the Tyrannosaurus rex was the greatest of any land animal that has ever lived on Earth. Based on tooth marks on the bones of Triceratops, the rear teeth of an adult Tyrannosaurus could have compressed with a force of 35 to 37 kilonewtons, 15 times the greatest measured bite force. African lion, three and a half times the bite force of an Australian saltwater crocodile and seven times the bite force of an Allosaurus.
Lifespan
The smallest specimen found, LACM 28471 ("Jordan theropod") had a body mass of 30 kilograms, while the largest, FMNH PR2081 "Sue", weighed more than 5,400 kilograms. Histology of the T. rex bones showed that "Jordan theropod" was two years old at the time of death, and "Sue" was 28 years old. Thus, the maximum lifespan of tyrannosaurs probably reached 30 years.
Paleontologists believe that tyrannosaurs “lived fast and died young” because they reproduced quickly and lived too dangerous a life.
Posture
The initial reconstructions of scientists, who depicted the tyrannosaurus, like other bipedal lizards, in the “three-legged tripod” pose, turned out to be incorrect. Lizards of this type of posture moved, holding their torso, tail and head almost in one line, horizontal with respect to the ground. The tail was straightened and constantly curved to the sides in opposition to the movements of the head.
Forelegs
The forelimbs of the tyrannosaurus are extremely small in relation to the size of the body, reaching only one meter in length. However, their bones have large areas for muscle attachment, indicating great strength.
Scientists believe that they could serve to get up from a resting position, to hold the sexual partner during mating, and also to hold the victim trying to escape.
The exceptionally thick, non-porous surface layer of the bones of these limbs indicates the ability to withstand significant loads. The biceps brachii muscle of an adult tyrannosaurus was capable of lifting a load of 200 kilograms. The brachialis muscle worked in parallel with the biceps muscle, increasing elbow flexion. The T. rex's biceps were three and a half times stronger than a human's. The massiveness of the foreleg bones, muscular strength and limited range of motion suggest a special system of the tyrannosaurus's forelimbs, developed to firmly hold prey making desperate efforts to escape.
Leather and feathers
Scientists believe that T. rex had feathers on at least some parts of its body. This version is based on the presence of feathers in related smaller species.
Feathers in tyrannosauroids were first discovered in small dinosaur Dilong paradoxus from the famous Yixian Formation of China. Its fossilized skeleton, like those of many other theropods from the same formation, was bordered by a layer of filamentous structures usually considered proto-feathering. Larger tyrannosauroids had fossilized scales, so scientists concluded that the number of feathers decreased with age, because. immature individuals were feathered to preserve heat, and by mature age in animals large sizes only scales remained. However, subsequent discoveries showed that even some of the larger tyrannosauroids had feathers on most of their bodies.
It is possible that the number of feathers and the nature of the cover could change in tyrannosauroids depending on the time of year, changes in the size of lizards, climate changes or other factors.
Thermoregulation
Most likely, the tyrannosaurus was warm-blooded, as it led a very active lifestyle. This is supported by the high growth rate of tyrannosaurs, similar to that of mammals and birds. Growth charts show that their growth stopped during immaturity, unlike most other vertebrates.
Scientists analyzed the ratio of oxygen isotopes in the bones of tyrannosaurs and found that the temperature of the spine and tibia differed by no more than 4-5 °C, which indicates the ability of the tyrannosaurus to maintain a constant internal body temperature thanks to a metabolism average between the metabolisms of cold-blooded reptiles and warm-blooded ones mammals.
Even if the tyrannosaurus supported constant temperature body, this does not mean that he was completely warm-blooded, since such thermoregulation could be explained by a developed form of mesothermy observed in existing leatherback sea turtles.
Movement
Most of the Tyrannosaurus's mass was removed from its center of gravity; it could reduce this distance by arching its back and tail and pressing its head and limbs towards its body. Most likely, the tyrannosaurus turned rather slowly; it could make a 45° turn in 1-2 seconds.
Tyrannosaurus's maximum speed:
Average estimates are around 39.6 km/h or 11 m/s.
The lowest estimate is from 18 km/h or 5 m/s.
72 km/h or 20 m/s.
Many tracks of large theropods walking have been found, but none have been found left behind by running. This may mean that tyrannosaurs were not capable of running. However, other experts noted the greater development of the muscles of the Tyrannosaurus's legs compared to any modern animal, which gives them reason to believe that it could reach speeds of 40-70 kilometers per hour.
For such a massive animal, falling while running quickly could result in fatal injuries. However, modern giraffes can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h, risking breaking a leg or falling to death not only in wild environment, but also in the zoo. It is likely that, in case of need, the tyrannosaurus also exposed itself to this risk.
In a 2007 study, a computer model for measuring running speed estimated T. rex's maximum speed at 29 km/h (8 m/s). By comparison, a sprinter can reach a top speed of 43 km/h (12 m/s). Maximum speed The model estimated a three-kilogram (possibly juvenile) Compsognathus specimen at 64 km/h (17.8 m/s).
Brain and sense organs
Coelurosaurids had enhanced sensory abilities. This is evidenced by the fast and well-coordinated movements of the pupils and head, the ability to detect low-frequency sounds, thanks to which the tyrannosaurus detected prey at long distances, as well as an excellent sense of smell.
It is also believed that Tyrannosaurus had a very sharp vision. Its binocular range was 55 degrees - more than that of a modern hawk. The visual acuity of a tyrannosaurus was 13 times higher than that of a human, respectively, exceeding the visual acuity of an eagle, which is only 3.6 times higher than that of a human. All this allowed the tyrannosaurus to distinguish objects at a distance of 6 kilometers, while a person can recognize them only at a distance of 1.6 kilometers.
Tyrannosaurus' increased depth perception may have been related to its prey. These included the armored dinosaur Ankylosaurus, the horned dinosaur Triceratops, and the duck-billed dinosaurs, which either ran away or camouflaged and hid.
Tyrannosaurus Rex had large olfactory bulbs and olfactory nerves relative to the size of its entire brain, allowing it to smell carrion over great distances. Tyrannosaurus's sense of smell is likely comparable to that of modern vultures.
The very long cochlea of Tyrannosaurus rex is unusual for theropods. The length of the cochlea is associated with hearing acuity, which shows how important hearing was in his behavior. Studies have shown that Tyrannosaurus rex was best at picking up low-frequency sounds.
The eye sockets of the tyrannosaurus were located so that the gaze was directed forward; the lizard had good binocular vision - better than that of hawks. Horner noted that the lineage of tyrannosaurs showed a steady improvement in binocular vision, while scavengers did not require increased depth perception.
IN modern world excellent stereoscopic vision is characteristic of fast-running predators.
Traces from the teeth of tyrannosaurs on the bones of Triceratops without signs of healing are quite common. Fossils exist that show smaller tyrannosaurids, possibly juvenile Tyrannosaurids, successfully hunting down larger Triceratops.
While studying the “Sue” specimen, Peter Larson found the fibula and caudal vertebrae fused after a fracture, as well as cracks in the facial bones and a tooth from another tyrannosaurus stuck in the cervical vertebrae. This may indicate aggressive behavior between tyrannosaurs. It is not known for certain whether tyrannosaurs were active cannibals or simply engaged in intraspecific struggle for territory or mating rights.
Further studies showed that the injuries to the facial bones, fibula and vertebrae were caused by an infectious disease.
The current view is that tyrannosaurs occupied different ecological niches depending on size and age, like modern crocodiles and monitor lizards.
Thus, newborn cubs most likely fed on small prey, and as they grew, they switched to larger and larger ones. Perhaps the largest tyrannosaurs hunted for carrion, taking prey from their smaller relatives.
Poisonous saliva
There is a hypothesis that the tyrannosaurus could kill the victim using its infected saliva. Rotten remains of meat could accumulate between the teeth of the Tyrannosaurus rex; the bite of the Tyrannosaurus rex infected the victim with harmful bacteria.
The tyrannosaurus probably tore pieces of meat from the carcass by shaking its head from side to side, as crocodiles do. In one bite, an adult tyrannosaurus could tear out a piece of meat weighing 70 kg from the victim’s body.
Paleoecology
The range of the Tyrannosaurus rex extended from Canada to Texas and New Mexico. IN northern regions In this area, triceratops dominated among herbivores, and in the southern regions, sauropods of the Alamosaurus species dominated. Remains of tyrannosaurs have been found in a variety of ecosystems, from inland landmass to wetlands and arid and semi-arid (arid and semi-arid) plains.
Several notable T. rex finds have been made in the Hell Creek Formation. During the Maastrichtian era, this area was subtropical, with warm and humid climate. The flora is represented mainly by flowering plants, there were coniferous trees like metasequoia and araucaria. Tyrannosaurus shared habitat with Triceratops and the closely related Torosaurus, as well as the duck-billed Edmontosaurus, armored ankylosaur, pachycephalosaurus, thescelosaurus, and the theropods Ornithomimus and Troodon.
Another deposit of Tyrannosaurus rex remains is the Lance Formation of Wyoming. Millions of years ago it was a bayou ecosystem similar to the modern coastline. Gulf of Mexico. The fauna of this formation is very similar to that of Hell Creek, but the ornithomimus niche was occupied by Struthiomimus. A small representative of ceratopsians, Leptoceratops, also lived there.
In the southern regions of its range, the tyrannosaurus lived with the Alamosaurus, Torosaurus, Edmontosaurus, the representative of the ankylosaurs Glyptodontopelta and the giant pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus. It was dominated by semi-arid plains, where the Western Inland Sea formerly lay.
T. rex (Tyrannosaurus Rex) is by far the most popular dinosaur that has lived on our planet. He became the hero of a huge number of books, films, television shows and even video games.
For a very long time, T-Rex was considered the most powerful carnivore that ever walked the Earth.
10 Little-Known Facts About T-Rex
1. Tyrannosaurus Rex Wasn't the Largest Carnivorous Dinosaur
Most people subconsciously believe that the North American Tyrannosaurus Rex, measuring 12 meters 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 were larger than T. rex - 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, since they lived in different time and in different lands, they were separated by thousands of miles and millions of years.
2. T-Rex's front legs weren't as tiny as many people assume.
One anatomical feature of Tyrannosaurus Rex that many people scoff at is its front legs, which appear disproportionately tiny compared to the rest of its massive body. But in fact, T. rex's front legs were more than 1 meter long and may have been capable of lifting up to 200 kg.
You will be interested to know that the most cartoonish - tiny front legs belong to the giant Carnotaurus. His arms looked like tiny bumps.
3. T-Rex had very bad breath.
Of course, most dinosaurs Mesozoic era had no opportunity to brush their teeth, and very few of them had teeth. Some experts believe that the remains of rotten meat, infected with bacteria, which were constantly present between the terrible teeth, made the T. rex bite poisonous. Such a bite would infect (and ultimately kill) the bitten victim. The problem is that this process would likely take days or weeks.
4. Female T-Rexes were larger 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, which is a sign of sexual dimorphism.
For what? The most likely reason is that females of the species had to lay huge eggs, which is why evolution gave females such large hips, or perhaps females were simply more skilled hunters than males (as is the case with modern lions) and consumed more food.
5. The average lifespan of a T-Rex was about 30 years.
It is difficult to infer the lifespan of dinosaurs from their fossilized remains, but based on analysis of skeletal specimens found, paleontologists suggest that Tyrannosaurus Rex may have lived for up to 30 years. Since this dinosaur was on top the food chain of its range, most likely its death occurred from old age, disease or hunger, and not from fights with predators. It was very rare for a tyrannosaurus to 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. T-Rex hunted and picked up carrion
For years, paleontologists debated whether T. rex was brutal killer, or a banal 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 quite strange, since Tyrannosaurus Rex could use these two methods of food simultaneously, like any massive predatory animal that constantly wanted to satisfy its hunger.
7. T. rex subspecies Hatchlings may have been covered in feathers
We all know that dinosaurs are the ancestors of birds, and that some carnivorous dinosaurs (especially raptors) 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 history. 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 sorely mistaken. Imagine a hungry eight-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex attacking a five-ton Triceratops! Such an unthinkable fight could certainly have happened, 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 take care of a sick or recently hatched Triceratops. But if he was too hungry, large individuals also 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, with the same force that the largest modern alligators bite. More detailed studies of the skulls showed that its bite force was in the range of 2,300 kilograms per square inch. (By comparison, the average adult can bite with about 80 lbs. per inch of force.) The powerful jaws of T. Rex could even bite through the horns of Ceratopsus itself!
10. Tyrannosaurus Rex was originally named Manospondylus
When famed paleontologist Edward Pinker Cope unearthed the first fossilized skeleton of T. rex, in 1892, he called the find "Manospondylus gigax - Greek" (giant slender vertebrae). After further impressive fossil exploration, it was then-president of the American Museum of Natural History, Henry Fairfield Osborne, who gave the immortal name Tyrannosaurus Rex, the "tyrannical lizard king."
Mouth shut: they had lips. Perhaps tyrannosaurs were not as toothy as they are usually portrayed. New research suggests their sharp, pearly teeth were hidden behind the labial folds. This discovery could change the typical image of a dinosaur showing off its fanged grin.
The deadly fangs of the Cretaceous predator were covered with a rather thin layer of enamel. To avoid destruction of the enamel and, as a result, the tooth, such thin and fragile enamel must be constantly maintained in a moist environment. A study of modern large lizards confirms this theory: all terrestrial species, such as the Komodo dragon, have a closed mouth.
Their lipless cousins, such as crocodiles, live in water, in moist environments, and do not require additional moisture to maintain the surface of their teeth. The tyrannosaurus frightened all inhabitants of the earth (not water!), and he needed lips to protect his 10-15-centimeter teeth and keep them in excellent fighting condition.
Herd mentality: tyrannosaurs moved in packs. This is one of the reasons why you probably won't want to travel back in time to the Cretaceous period. In western Canada, scientists have discovered the remains of three tyrannosaurs moving together. And although the reasons for their death were not established, scientists received new information about the habits of tyrannosaurs.
The three tyrannosaurs discovered were mature specimens that had already seen life. All three knew very well how to survive in their cruel world where dinosaur ate dinosaur. They were about 30 years old - and this is a respectable age for a tyrannosaurus. The skin marks were still visible, and it was even possible to see that one of the dinosaurs had its left paw torn off. They followed each other, but kept their distance. These traces, left 70 million years ago, are the best evidence that dinosaurs formed in herds. 
Adolescence: teenage terror among tyrannosaurs. There is one version that explains why the “Canadian trio” kept their distance from each other. From a very early age, tyrannosaurus cubs engaged in fierce fights with each other. The remains of one of the young dinosaurs, named "Jane" (although the sex of the animal was not determined), suggests that the dinosaur was beaten to a pulp by another young dinosaur.
Jane received a heavy blow to her muzzle and upper jaw, which broke her nose. The enemy was the same age as Jane: his teeth marks matched the size of Jane's teeth. Jane was 12 years old at the time of her death, and these injuries had already healed, leaving her face permanently flattened. This means that the fight happened much earlier, when both dinosaurs were even younger.
By the age of 12, Jane was already a real instrument of death: a baby compared to an adult tyrannosaurus, she reached 7 m in length and 2.5 m in height at the sacrum, and weighed about 680 kg. 
“He or she?”: the gender question. Paleontologists are still struggling precise definition gender of dinosaurs. Even dinosaurs with a crest, a bony collar at the back of the skull, horns, spines and other characteristic features do not have pronounced gender characteristics. It seems that male and female dinosaurs looked the same.
However, take a look at the famous MOR 1125, also known as the B-Rex, one of the Museum of the Rockies' specimens. An information plaque near the exhibit confidently states that the remains belonged to a female individual.
The discovery of MOR 1125 was notable for the fact that soft tissue was preserved in the femur of this dinosaur. University of North Carolina paleontologist Mary Schweitzer, while examining them, made a discovery: in the remains she discovered the so-called medullary bone. This is a special structure that is chemically different from other types of bone tissue that appears in females before laying eggs. Thus, it was proven that the femur belonged to a female who was pregnant at the time of death.
Thanks to this discovery, it became clear that in dinosaurs, as in birds, a sharp increase in estrogen during pregnancy provoked the appearance of medullary bone. 
Tyrannosaurus as a dish for dinner. Brutal interspecies battles between dinosaurs did not end with broken noses. If someone's meat was available, and the tyrannosaurus was hungry, it could be considered that "food was served." Even if it meant crunching the bones of a cousin.
To survive in the prehistoric world, dinosaurs needed a lot of meat. A lot of meat. Fossilized dinosaur feces contain remains of semi-digested bones and flesh. This indicates the animal had a fast metabolism, and the dinosaur quickly became hungry again.
There is an opinion in scientific circles that tyrannosaurs were cannibals. Some finds of bones preserved tooth marks, which means that the tyrannosaurus rex bones were gnawed by the tyrannosaurs themselves. Scientists are not sure whether they fed on already dead individuals or killed them on purpose: most likely, both options are correct. 
“By the tooth”: the unique structure of a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth. Dinosaur teeth are a great prop for a horror movie: the dinosaur grabs the victim, sinks its teeth into it, blood sprays, and everyone knows that the victim no longer has a chance. Tyrannosaurs' teeth were as sharp as daggers, but that's not the only reason they were deadly weapons.
While examining the teeth of tyrannosaurs, scientists noticed cracks, and at first mistook them for damage (of course, dinosaurs greedily and frantically devoured food). However, it turned out that this was not damage, but special structure tooth By capturing the prey, these cracks made it possible to hold the animal firmly, minimizing the possibility of escaping from the dinosaur's mouth. This tooth structure is unique. Maybe it is her merit that tyrannosaurs went down in history as one of the most large predators planets. 
"Little Tyrant": a relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex. In 1988, paleontologist Robert Bakker announced that a new relative had appeared in the tyrannosaurus family, Nanotyrannus (literally, “little tyrant”). The scientist made these conclusions by studying the find, a dinosaur skull from Cleveland University. Compared to the head of tyrannosaurs, this exhibit was much smaller and much narrower. In addition, he had more teeth. But was this predator a miniature relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex or its baby?
Few believed that Tyrannosaurus could change so quickly and so dramatically, and debate over the degree of relationship between Nanotyrannus and Tyrannosaurus lasted for quite some time. And in 2001, the best preserved young tyrannosaurus was discovered in Montana - it turned out to be the same Jane described above. This teenage dinosaur had many similarities to both the Cleveland University find and large tyrannosaurs.
The debate about Jane's species remains open, as does the question of the very existence of the tyrannosaurus subspecies Nanotyrannus. 
They are escorted by intelligence: intelligence allowed tyrannosaurs to become a super-predator. There is another mystery in the evolution of the Tyrannosaurus rex - and it again involves “miniature” dinosaurs.
More recently, in 2016, scientists named and described a new type species of tyrannosaurus, Timurlengia euotica. He got this name in honor of Timurleng, the founder of the Timurid Empire in Central Asia: because the main finds that led to such discoveries were made in the territory modern Uzbekistan. The second part of the name means "good ears" - this individual had long inner ear canals designed to pick up low-frequency sounds.
But the most interesting thing is the size. Scientists could not understand how a dinosaur measuring 3-4 meters in length, weighing approximately 170-270 kg, i.e. generally about the size of a horse, could survive in ancient world. Moreover: how could it develop into a formidable super-predator weighing more than 7 tons? The answer lies in his intelligence: yes, it was his intelligence that allowed the little predator to dominate the cruel world. 
“Head off your shoulders”: a tyrannosaurus could decapitate an enemy. By studying the bony collar of Triceratops, scientists have discovered new facts about the habits of tyrannosaurs. On the bone collars of Triceratops, teeth marks were found, which indicated that the tyrannosaurus not only grabbed and chewed the Triceratops collar, but also literally pulled it together. The question arises: why would a predator gnaw that part of the animal where there is no meat?
It turns out that an adult Tyrannosaurus rex gnawed off the head of a Triceratops. The neck of the Triceratops was considered a delicacy, and the bony collar served as a hindrance. Proof of this is the traces of teeth on the joints of the neck of the Triceratops, which could only be there if the victim’s head was torn off. 
Tyrannosaurus rex's menacing cooing: they didn't make roaring sounds. To find out what sounds tyrannosaurs made, scientists examined their closest living relatives. By studying the sounds of the so-called archosaurs - crocodiles and birds - paleontologists came to the conclusion that dinosaurs did not make wild roaring sounds that frighten all living things.
If Tyrannosaurus rex made sounds like those made by birds, it would have had an air sac rather than vocal cords. Without vocal cords, the dinosaur would not have been able to roar. The real voice of one of the most dangerous dinosaurs might disappoint you: most likely, it sounded like cooing. 
Truly the most impressive land predator in the history of our planet. - the accepted Latin name. It comes from two ancient Greek words: tyrant lizard. In terms of body size, it is now the third land predator, second only to Spinosaurus and Giganotosaurus. However, in many respects, including general muscles and the massiveness of the head, it is superior to the latter. The correct spelling in Russian is with two “n”.
Business card
Time and place of existence
Tyrannosaurs lived at the end of the Cretaceous period about 68 - 66 million years ago. They were very widespread in what is now North America (Canada and the United States).
Superb artistic reconstruction by Ukrainian paleoartist Sergei Krasovsky. The dinosaur exudes menace, power and displays a fiery character.
Types and history of discovery
In fact, only one species has been confirmed , which translates from Latin as royal lizard tyrant.Body structure
The body length of this creature reached 12.3 meters (specimen FMNH PR2081, nicknamed Sue). The height is up to 3.6 m. An adult representative of tyrannosaurs weighed up to 8870 kilograms (RSM P2523.8, nicknamed Scotty).
Comparison of Tyrannosaurus Sue and a man performed by Scott Hartman (USA).
The Cretaceous theropod moved on two strong legs. It rested on three long fingers with sharp claws. Another reduced finger was located behind. The height of the tyrannosaurus at the hips is about 3.4 m. The forelimbs look very unusual in comparison with the rest of the body. They are extremely small (highly reduced), and each is equipped with only two small fingers.
The impressive, massive head was attached to a short, powerful neck. The photograph below shows one of the contenders for the title of large tyrannosaurus skull, specimen MOR 008. The stated length is 1.5 m. This is the real pride of the Mesozoic exhibition of the Museum of the Rocky Mountains (Bozeman, Montana, USA).
Due to its special nature, the fossil circulates around the world on long tours. However, there are doubts about the reliability of the reconstruction.
The question of the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skull is discussed on our channel.
You can imagine what the giant's muscles were like. The neck had to withstand the sudden stress of jerking. Both jaws were ideally designed for quickly tearing off a piece of meat. The sharp teeth were curved back, which prevented the victim from escaping from the jaws. They were jagged along the edges, which made it possible to break through even solid elements.
The thick spine was capable of withstanding colossal overloads.
The figure shows a reconstruction of a North Dakota landscape with two adults. The leathery ridges above the eyes are just the artist’s assumption.
Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton
The photo shows an exhibit of the species Tyrannosaurus rex with the assigned name Sue (specimen FMNH PR2081). Main hall of the Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago, USA)
Look also at a high-quality photograph of one of the most formidable skulls, and at the same time well preserved. This is the head of an individual named Samson on display at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Portland, USA).
Nutrition and lifestyle
Some scientists put forward deliberately erroneous assumptions that the main food of the animal was carrion. A creature that fed primarily on corpses would not need such a massive skeleton with the corresponding muscles. And incredible, even in comparison with other giant theropods, weapons. To eat dead bodies, this is not required at all - the jaw apparatus of abelisaurids or coelophysioids is sufficient. With powerful legs and practically atrophied upper limbs, the tyrant lizard represented a model of a pronounced predator, honed by evolution. Top of the food chain.It is important to note that, having encountered the remains of animals in a condition acceptable for consumption, the tyrannosaurus, of course, did not disdain them. This is normal for most modern predators. Moreover, the tyrannosaurus, given the opportunity, could drive away small dinosaurs from their prey.
Panoramic painting by Canadian paleoartist Julius Csotonyi (click to enlarge). The discovery of an adult tyrannosaurus promises him a dinner of seafood. A Late Cretaceous predator stumbled upon the carcass of a mosasaurus stranded on the shore after low tide. A lone Triceratops is grazing in the distance to the right.
There is evidence that Tyrannosaurus may have fed on Late Maastrichtian sauropods: a tooth was found stuck in cervical vertebra Alamosaurus. In this case, it is unknown whether the lizard killed the sauropod on its own or found it already dead.
T-rex is the most popular dinosaur on this moment. He appears in hundreds of books, cartoons and films.
A Tyrannosaurus with a baby under an orange sky literally overrun with flying lizards. Illustration by Todd Marshall (USA).
Video
Excerpt from documentary film"Dinosaur Battles" The power of the jaws, the effectiveness of the teeth, as well as other features of the body structure of the “terrible lizard” are shown.
Excerpt from the documentary "When Dinosaurs Roamed America." We see a young Tyrannosaurus rex and its mother hunting for Late Cretaceous ornithopods, Edmontosaurus.
In the “Reptiles and Amphibians” section, for the first time we decided to talk about such an animal, which previously, undoubtedly, was the king of beasts, if you can call it that. To begin with, we will find out what tyrrhanosaurus means in translation from Latin, let's name the closest relatives of this predator. Then we’ll talk more about his appearance and size. Of course, the article about the Tyrrhanosaurus would not be complete if we did not tell who it hunted, where and when it lived on Earth.
Tyrannosaurus Rex is one of the most famous carnivorous dinosaurs. Even a modern lion cannot compare with him. It owes part of its popularity to the means mass media, especially the release of the film “Park Jurassic" At the American Museum of Natural History in New York, it is a favorite exhibit among visitors.
The meaning of the name Tyrannosaurus and its closest relatives
Tyrannosaurus - literally translated from Latin as “tyrant lizard”. This name comes from the ancient Greek words - “tyrant” and - “lizard, lizard”. Rex means "king". This is what the famous American biologist and paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborne, who at that time was the president of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, named and first described this dinosaur in 1905.
The Tyrannosaurus genus belongs to the Tyrannosauridae family and consists of only one species of animals - Tyrannosaurus Rex - a large carnivorous dinosaur. In addition to it, Tyrrhanosaurus includes another subfamily, which includes Albertosaurus, Alectrosaurus, Alioramus, Chingkankousaurus, Daspletosaurus, Eotyrannus, Gorgosaurus, Nanotyrannus and Tarbosaurus.
Dimensions, appearance and structural features of Tirex
The largest and most complete T-Rex skeleton ever found was named Sue, after its discoverer, paleontologist Sue Hendrickson. After carefully measuring Sue's bones, scientists concluded that T-Rex was one of the largest predatory dinosaurs. It was up to 4 meters (13 ft) high and 12.3 m (40 ft) long. Sue's recent analysis, published in 2011 in the journal PLoS ONE, suggests that Tyrrhanosaurus weighed as much as 9 tons (8,160 kg to be exact).
T-Rex had powerful thighs and a long, strong tail., who served not only deadly weapon, but primarily as a counterweight to it big head(Sue's skull is 1.5 m, or 5 feet long) and allowed the dinosaur to move quickly. In 2011, studies were conducted that were able to model the distribution of muscle tissue throughout the lizard skeleton. According to the results obtained, it can be assumed that this predatory dinosaur could reach speeds of 17 to 40 km/h (10–25 mph).
The two-toed front paws were so insignificant that it becomes very unlikely that T. rex could have used them for hunting or with their help to bring food to the mouth. "We don't know why it needed those little paws," University of Kansas paleontologist David Burnham said honestly.
Tyrannosaurus has the strongest bites of any animal
A 2011 study of T. Rex's massive skull, published in the journal Biology Letter, found that the dinosaur's bite could be considered the most powerful bite of any animal that has ever lived on Earth. These figures reached an impressive figure of 12,814 lbf (57,000 Newtons).
T-Rex had the strongest and sharpest teeth, the largest of which reached 12 inches in length. But according to a 2012 study published in the journal Earth Sciences, not all teeth served the same function. In particular, the dinosaur grabbed food with its front teeth, the side teeth tore it into pieces, and the back teeth ground it and sent pieces of food further along the digestive tract. It should be noted that the front teeth were flat and fit much more tightly together than the side teeth. This eliminated the possibility of breaking a tooth during the capture of the victim, when she was still trying to resist and escape.
Who did Tyrannosaurus hunt?
It is a huge predator that primarily preyed on herbivorous dinosaurs, including Edmontosaurus and Triceratops. "By constantly hunting, this predator consumed hundreds of pounds of meat over the course of its life," Burnham said.
"It's possible that T. Rex shared its catch, but did so reluctantly," Burnham said. “He had a hard life, he was constantly hungry and so he hunted all the time.” Note: dragonflies also have to hunt all the time, you can read about this in the article about dragonflies.
“Over the years, evidence has been collected that The main occupation of Tyrrhanosaurus was hunting for food. All of them were indirect and were based only on bite marks, on fallen teeth found near the remains of other dinosaurs, as well as the presence of traces and even whole hunting trails Tyrannosaurus rex," Burnham said. But in 2013, in the official journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Burnham and his colleagues finally presented direct evidence of the predatory nature of T. rex. They discovered a Tyrannosaurus rex tooth stuck between the tail vertebrae of a duck-billed dinosaur. Moreover, the victim managed to get away from the T-Rex, and over time, this wound with the tooth healed.
"We found the smoking gun!" says Burnham. “Thanks to this discovery, we now know for sure that the monster from our dreams really existed.”
In the journal PLoS ONE in 2010, the results of analyzes of deep bites and cuts obtained from the teeth of a Tyrannosaurus were published. Yet it is unclear whether Tyrannosaurs were prone to cannibalism, fighting to the death with other relatives, or simply eating their remains.
Scientists are confident that Tyrannosaurs hunted both alone and together with other dinosaurs. In 2014, footprints were discovered in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia that belonged to three dinosaurs from the Tyrannosaurid family. Presumably these were Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus and Daspletosaurus. A study published in the journal PLoS ONE found that at least relatives of T. rex hunted in packs.
In what places and at what time did T-rex live?
Dinosaur fossils can be found in various rocks, belonging to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, which was about 65-67 million years ago, at the end of the Mesozoic era. Tyrannosaurus was one of the last dinosaurs to did not evolve into birds, and lived until the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction, during which the dinosaurs disappeared.
Tyrannosaurus Rex, unlike other land dinosaurs, constantly roamed throughout western North America, which at that time was huge island- Laramidia. According to National Geographic, more than 50 T-Rex skeletons have been discovered, some of them very well preserved. Even remnants of skin and muscles are visible on them.
Fossil hunter Barnum Brown discovered the first partial skeleton of Tyrannosaurus rex at Hell Creek (Montana) in 1902 and after some time sold it to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. Other Tyrannosaurus remains are at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
In 2007, scientists discovered a T. rex footprint in Hell Creek and published the discovery in the journal Palaios. But if this print really belongs to a Tyrannosaurus, then it will be the second one that paleontologists have found. The first trace was discovered in 1993 in New Mexico.
