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: western part 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", measures 12.3 meters in length and 4 meters in hip height. 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 (maxillary bone 81 cm long) to be approximately 13.6 meters, the height to the hips 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 indicates a predatory lifestyle.

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 large animals 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 Tyrannosaurus rex maintained a constant body temperature, this does not mean that it was completely warm-blooded, since such thermoregulation could be explained by a developed form of mesothermy observed in living 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 the wild, but also in a 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 the Tyrannosaurus rex had very acute 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 the northern regions of this range, Triceratops dominated among the 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; coniferous trees such as metasequoia and araucaria were also found. Tyrannosaurus shared its habitat with Triceratops and its closely related Torosaurus, as well as the duck-billed Edmontosaurus, armored ankylosaur, Pachycephalosaurus, Thescelosaurus and 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 Gulf Coast. 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 southern regions Tyrannosaurus lived in its range with Alamosaurus, Torosaurus, Edmontosaurus, with 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.

Tyrannosaurus)

During its habitat - in the Cretaceous period, Tyrannosaurus - the "Tyrant Lizard" - was the largest terrestrial carnivore.
If we compare all known to science, Tyrannosaurus is the fourth longest among carnivorous dinosaurs, second only to the predatory dinosaurs of the mid-Cretaceous period - Spinosaurus, Giganotosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus.
More than 30 finds of tyrannosaurs have been described, all of them belong to formations approximately 68-65 million years old.
Paleontologist Robert T. Bakker of the Wyoming Museum called Tyrannosaurus "the 10,000-foot marathon runner from hell," in tribute to its size, ferocity and power.
Scientists are particularly fascinated by the monster’s teeth: some researchers compare them to railroad spikes, and Kevin Padian from the University of California figuratively called these sharp 18-centimeter daggers “deadly bananas.”
In fact, in their shape and size, Tyrannosaurus's teeth resemble very large bananas.

But despite such powerful “weapons” of the lizard, many scientists believed that the Tyrannosaurus was not a predator, but an ordinary scavenger. Back in 1917, Canadian paleontologist Lawrence Lamb suggested that these were peculiar land vultures.

Supporters of the scavenger lizard appealed to the “weak teeth theory,” which was based on the fact that the elongated teeth of Tyrannosaurus rex could not withstand impacts on the bones of victims and were adapted only for snatching huge pieces of half-decomposed meat.

In addition, they also argued that the dinosaur's small arms did not contribute to its deadly attacks, and the Tyrannosaurus was quite slow to pursue prey.
Proponents of the idea that Tyrannosaurus was a carnivorous predator argued that the lizard’s teeth were quite strong, and its “little hands” could lift about 180 kg.
Some scientists even claim that there was not and is not a single animal that can compare with the tyrannosaurus in strength...
As for the speed of movement of the lizard, there is an opinion that, according to data based on the proportions of the limbs of the Tyrannosaurus, it could reach 47 km per hour (some scientists claim even 72 km/h or more)!
(discussion of Tyrannosaurus's speed abilities...)

Now most scientists are sure that the Tyrannosaurus was still a predator and enough evidence has been found for this.
Firstly, a large number of marks of Tyrannosaurus teeth, which were found on the bones of herbivorous dinosaurs; secondly, paleontologists found crushed bones of these same harmless lizards in the famous Tyrannosaurus coprolite sample - a fossilized excrement of a monster measuring 44 by 16 by 13 cm.
The remains of the world's largest Tyrannosaurus were discovered in August 1990 on the territory of the Maurice Williams ranch in South Dakota (USA).
Sue, as the dinosaur was named after the paleontologist Sue Hendrickson who discovered it, reached a height of 4 meters, a length of 12 meters, and weighed almost 8 tons!
And the length of the toothy skull of the giant lizard was 1.5 meters.
But what made Tyrannosaurus Sue famous was not only its size, but the almost detective story associated with its remains...
The leader of a team of paleontologists from the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, which included Sue Hendrickson, Peter Larson, wrote the farmer a check for $5,000 for excavations at the Williams ranch and the fossils discovered there.
After this, the found remains of the Tyrannosaurus were sent to the institute, where Larson intended to dissect them, study them and assemble a skeleton from them. While studying the Tyrannosaurus rex remains, Larson began giving public lectures and writing popular articles about Sue.
Literally, crowds of tourists began to arrive at the institute to look at the now famous lizard.
With all this, very specific visitors began to visit the institute - agents of the FBI and national law enforcement agencies. The remains of Sue's Tyrannosaurus and other fossils were confiscated, as were photographs, recordings and business documentation.

The thing is that it turned out that the land in which Sue was discovered was under the jurisdiction of the government, so the deal with the farmer was illegal...
In 1993, a U.S. grand jury indicted Larson and five of his colleagues on 39 counts, including theft of fossils from public lands. It turned out that Larson did not have the right to excavate and buy fossils without permission from the US Department.
The Black Hills Institute's counterclaim for the return of Sue's Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton was rejected...
The story ended with Sue's remains being sold at Sotheby's in 1997. Bidding started at $500,000, and by the end of the auction the price had risen to $8.36 million.
The dinosaur was bought by a museum in Chicago, which was helped to raise such an astronomical amount by numerous sponsors. Many paleontologists are concerned about this precedent of selling a fossil at auction, because it was possible that Sue would have been bought by some rich exotic lover and the famous lizard would have disappeared from the field of view of scientists for a long time, if not forever.
It was initially believed that Tyrannosaurus was a solitary, ruthless predator, but over time, evidence has accumulated that suggests these dinosaurs hunted in packs.

The thing is that the remains of Tyrannosaurs are often found together: such a massive death of animals is possible if they hunt in a pack and the animals, one after another, fall into a trap (swamp bog, mud spring, quicksand) in pursuit of prey.
For example, in Alberta (Canada) in 1910, 9 Tyrannosaurs were discovered in one place. The lizards in this dead flock were from 4 to 9 meters in length, which indicates a different age of the animals.
Another one interesting feature Tyrannosaurus - judging by the structure of the pelvic bones and the number of tail chevrons, females were larger than males, like crocodiles or some birds of prey.
Tyrannosaurs also fought with each other. Most likely, they fought for leadership in the pack or divided females and territory. Researchers have found traces of Tyrannosaurus teeth on the bones of their relatives, especially young ones.
One lizard even carried a “souvenir” tooth stuck in its jaw from its fellow.
It is possible that these dinosaurs even ate their relatives, but still their main prey were herbivorous dinosaurs.
Recent studies of proteins found in a Tyrannosaurus rex femoral fossil 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 itself may not have had feathers (known skin prints from the thigh of Tyrannosaurus bear the typical dinosaur pattern of polygonal scales).
In 1988, employees of the Botanical Institute named after. Komarova RAS, in Chukotka on the river. The remains of Tyrannosaurus rex bones were discovered. These are the first discoveries of dinosaurs located beyond the Arctic Circle.

The tyrannosaurus had a very acute sense of smell, more acute than that of a dog, and it could smell blood from several kilometers away.
The maximum opening of the powerful jaws of the tyrannosaurus reached 1.5 m.
Tyrannosaurus marked its territory the way modern felines do and never left it.
Thanks to the pads in its paws, the tyrannosaurus felt the slightest vibration of the earth. Sound waves through the pads they were transmitted to the paws, then up the skeleton and reached the inner ear.
Thus, the tyrannosaurus felt what was happening around.

Information sources:
1. Bailey J., Seddon T. “The Prehistoric World”
2. “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs”
3. Wikipedia website

Truly the most impressive land predator in the history of our planet. – 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.

Tyrannosaurus with baby under orange sky, literally overrun with flying lizards. Illustration by Todd Marshall (USA).

Video

Excerpt from the documentary "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.

History of the study

general description

The two-fingered forelimbs are relatively small in comparison with the powerful legs. The tail is long and heavy. The spine consists of 10 cervical, 12 thoracic, five sacral and about 40 caudal vertebrae. The neck, like that of other theropods, is S-shaped, but short and thick to support the massive head. Some bones of the skeleton have voids, thus reducing the overall mass of the body without significant loss of strength. The body weight of an adult tyrannosaurus reached 6-7 tons, the largest individuals (Sue) could weigh about 9.5 tons.

The largest known Tyrannosaurus rex skull is 1.53 m long. There is a fragment of a jaw (UCMP 118 742), the length of which could be 1.75 meters; the estimated weight of the owner of such a jaw could reach 12 - 15 tons. The shape of the skull has significant differences in comparison with theropods from other families: extremely wide at the back, the skull narrows strongly at the front. According to experts, with such a skull structure, tyrannosaurs had excellent binocular vision. The structural features of the skull bones in the tyrannosaurid family make their bite incomparably more powerful compared to other theropods. The apex of the upper jaws is U-shaped (most other carnivorous theropods are V-shaped), which increases the volume of meat and bone that a Tyrannosaurus can tear off in a single bite, although at the expense of additional stress on the front teeth.

Tyrannosaurus teeth vary in shape. The front teeth are D-shaped in cross section and fit tightly together. They are curved inside the mouth and reinforced with ridges on the back side. The position and shape of the front teeth reduce the risk of them being pulled out during biting and pulling. The inner teeth are more banana-shaped than dagger-shaped. They are more widely spaced, but also have strength-enhancing ridges on the back side. The total (including root) length of the largest tooth found is estimated at 30 cm. This is the longest tooth among all found teeth of carnivorous dinosaurs.

Tyrannosaurus walked on its hind limbs, like other members of the tyrannosaurid family.

A Tyrannosaurus running at 5 m/s requires almost 6 liters of oxygen gas per second, which also leads to the idea that Tyrannosaurus is warm-blooded.

Evolution

At approximately the same time as the Tyrannosaurus, a species almost indistinguishable from it lived on the territory of what is now Asia - Tarbosaurus. Tarbosaurs had a slightly more elegant structure and slightly smaller size.

Nutrition method

It has not been conclusively established whether tyrannosaurs were predators or whether they fed on carrion.

Many large herbivorous dinosaurs had protection on their backs, indicating the danger of being attacked by a tall predator with powerful jaws.

Tyrannosaurs are predators and scavengers. 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.

Way to travel

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 opinion about 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.

Phylogenesis

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 of the late Jurassic era, rather than from carnosaurs. The currently known small ancestors of Tyrannosaurus (such as Dilong from the Early Cretaceous of China) were feathered with fine 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).

Tyrannosaurus in popular culture

Thanks to its enormous size, huge teeth and other impressive attributes, in the 20th century the Tyrannosaurus rex became one of the most recognizable dinosaurs in the world. That is why he often became a “super monster” - a killer dinosaur in films such as “The Lost World”, “King Kong”, etc. The main and most memorable film with the participation of a tyrannosaurus is Steven Spielberg’s film “Jurassic Park”, where this character had undergone careful elaboration and therefore looked very impressive.
In the sequel - the film "Jurassic Park 2" - there was already a whole family of tyrannosaurs present - a male and a female with a cub, which significantly reduced their negative role; Moreover, the pursuit of the tyrannosaurs after the heroes of the film, and then the destruction caused by the male tyrannosaurus on the streets of San Diego, was to some extent justified by their parental instinct and desire to save their cub.
Ultimately, in the film Jurassic Park 3, the developers needed a new dinosaur to play the role of the main villain, and their choice fell on the Egyptian Spinosaurus. The Tyrannosaurus itself only made a cameo appearance in the film.

Tyrannosaurus appears in many documentaries, such as "Walking with Dinosaurs", "The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs", etc. It was most accurately presented in the series documentaries"Dinosaur Battles"

The image of the Tyrannosaurus rex has also taken root in cartoons. Under the name "Sharptooth", the tyrannosaurus appears as the main negative character in the popular series of American full-length cartoons "The Land Before Time", the characters of which are dinosaurs.

The Tyrannosaurus also became a character in a number of animated series about Transformers. So, in his “image and likeness” Trypticon was created - a colossal transformer, a Decepticon fortress city. He is also the “mount” of Zadavala, the commander of the “Battle Dinosaur” squad in the series “Transformers: Victory”. The leader of the Predacons, Megatron, transforms into a tyrannosaurus (as the most terrible earthly creature) in the series “Beast Wars”, when the transformers, having arrived on prehistoric Earth, take on the appearance of earthly animals - both living and extinct. However, not only the bearers of an evil principle take on the guise of a tyrannosaurus: Grimlock, the commander of a group of Dinobots - not particularly smart, but powerful robots created by the Autobots and fighting with them against the Decepticons - also transforms into a tyrannosaurus.

Tyrannosaurus is also featured in the Dino Crisis game series. In the game Dino Crisis, he is the most powerful dinosaur (as well as in the game Dino Stalker) throughout the entire game, and in Dino Crisis 2, the Tyrannosaurus only at the end of the game supposedly dies in the fight against the Giganotosaurus, which in the game is presented as much larger (length more than 20 meters) than is known from fossil remains. computer game ParaWorld The Tyrannosaurus is the strongest unit of the Desert race and the strongest unit in the game. In the game the Tyrannosaurus is much larger than in reality.

Notes

1. Erickson, Gregory M.; Makovicky, Peter J.; Currie, Philip J.; Norell, Mark A.; Yerby, Scott A.; & Brochu, Christopher A. (2004). “Gigantism and comparative life-history parameters of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs.” Nature 430 (7001): 772–775. DOI:10.1038/nature02699.
2. Brochu Christopher A. Osteology of Tyrannosaurus Rex: Insights from a Nearly Complete Skeleton and High-resolution Computed Tomographic Analysis of the Skull. - Northbrook, Illinois: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2003.
3. see: Denver Formation
4. see en:Lance Formation
5. Breithaupt, Brent H.; Elizabeth H. Southwell and Neffra A. Matthews (2005-10-18). "In Celebration of 100 years of Tyrannosaurus Rex: Manospondylus Gigas, Ornithomimus Grandis, and Dynamosaurus Imperiosus, the Earliest Discoveries of Tyrannosaurus Rex in the West" in 2005 Salt Lake City Annual Meeting . Abstracts with Programs 37 : 406, Geological Society of America. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
6. , p. 81-82
7. , p. 122
8. , p. 112
9. , p. 113
10. , - Northern State University:: Aberdeen, SD
11. Montana State University (2006-04-07). Museum unveils world's largest T-rex skull. Press release . Retrieved 2008-09-13.
12. Mickey Mortimer (2003-07-21). And the Largest Theropod Is..... Press release . Retrieved 2012-04-20.
13. Stevens, Kent A. (June 2006). "Binocular vision in theropod dinosaurs" (PDF). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26 (2): 321–330. DOI:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)262.0.CO;2.
14. Jaffe, Eric (2006-07-01). "Sight for "Saur Eyes: T. rex vision was among nature's best." Science News 170 (1): 3. DOI:10.2307/4017288. Retrieved 2008-10-06.
15. Holtz, Thomas R. (1994). "The Phylogenetic Position of the Tyrannosauridae: Implications for Theropod Systematics". Journal of Palaeontology 68 (5): 1100–1117. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
16. Paul, Gregory S. Predatory dinosaurs of the world: a complete illustrated guide. - New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988. - ISBN 0-671-61946-2 Template:Pn
17. Sue's vital statistics. Sue at the Field Museum. Field Museum of Natural History. (inaccessible link - story) Retrieved September 15, 2007.
18. All large dinosaurs were warm-blooded
19. Remains of a mutant tyrannosaurus found in Mongolia
20. T. rex, Meet Your Great-Grandfather Science Magazine September 17, 2009
21. El antepasado enano del Tiranosaurio Rex El Mundo.es September 17, 2009 (Spanish)
22. Denver W. Fowler, Holly N. Woodward, Elizabeth A. Freedman, Peter L. Larson, & John R. Horner. Reanalysis of "Raptorex kriegsteini": A Juvenile Tyrannosaurid Dinosaur from Mongolia // PloS ONE. - 2011. - T. 6. - No. 6. - PMID 21738646.
23. Horner, J.R. and Lessem, D. (1993). The Complete T. rex : How Stunning New Discoveries Are Changing Our Understanding of the World’s Most Famous Dinosaur. New York: Simon & Schuster.
24. Sue at The Field Museum
25. David W.E. Hhone and Mahito Watabe. New information on scavenging and selective feeding behavior of tyrannosaurs. (PDF) (English)
26. Tyrannosaurus Rex is recognized as a cannibal (Russian). Membrana (October 19, 2010). Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2010.

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. Can't even compare to him. It owes part of its popularity to the 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 feet) high and 12.3 meters (40 feet) 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 its large 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 ones. 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.

“Over the years, evidence has been collected that The main occupation of Tyrrhanosaurus was hunting for food. "All of them were indirect and based only on bite marks, on missing teeth found near the remains of other dinosaurs, as well as the presence of tracks and even entire hunting trails of the Tyrannosaurus," 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 dating back to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, which was about 65-67 million years ago, at the end of 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 the western part of North America, which at that time was a 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.