Tyrannosaurus Rex

Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs that ever lived. It measured about 12m in length and stood about 5m tall. It's head alone was longer and wider than a 12 year old child. I think we are all familiar with Tyrannosaurus rex, or T rex for short, as it is probably the most famous dinosaur that ever lived. If you go up to someone and said "think of a dinosaur", they would probably say to you "tyrannosaurus Rex". Anyway, tyrannosaurus isn't just famous for it size, but for it's huge, 6 inch teeth that were perfect for ripping flesh and inflicting wounds. Because, just like most other theropods (meat-eating, bipedal dinos), t-rex's mouth was it's primary weapon, this group evolved something called the intrmandibular jaw. it is a bone in the jaw that works like a shock absorber. That along with a very strong, thick neck, enabled t-rex to use it's deadly mouth in a very good way. T-rex's arms were practically useless, they were tiny compared with the rest of the body, the bit attached to the hand and below the elbow (the forearm) measured only about the same as a MAN'S fore arm. Also the hand had only two fingers with biggish claws on the end. But these tiny arms meant the Tyrannosaurus and other Tyrannosaurids could have such a huge head, the arms counterbalanced the head with the rest of the body so that it wouldn't fall over.

scientists do not think that t-rex was a fast runner. It's leg bones were just not the right shape. Tyrannosaurus' top speed was about 18mph and in short bursts. But the prey it ate were probably even slower, even so, t-rex was probably and ambush predator. For t-rex to go any faster, around 80% of all it's muscles would have to be concentrated around the legs, this is impossible. T-rex had a pretty powerful tail though, it was stiff and helped t-rex to balance when walking, turning and running, and may have been a good weapon when fighting with prey. But which t-rex would use it's tail when it's got a mouth full of daggers.

Tyrannosaurus rex lived in the Cretaceous period, around 67 million years ago, only two million years before the end of the dinosaurs. It preyed in animals that lived in the same habitat and time as it (of course!)