All about the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus. Tyrannosaurus rex - the largest predatory dinosaur: description with photos and videos
A huge, ferocious-looking animal, the extinct Tyrannosaurus rex is present in almost every drawing that is accompanied by the word “dinosaurs.” This is the only dinosaur, both species and genus, whose name, most often, everyone knows. But despite this, until recently, not many fossils of this dinosaur were found.
Tyrannosaurus was one of the most large representatives carnivorous dinosaurs. Some specimens reached a length of 12 meters 80 cm, and the width of the hips reached almost 4 meters, the length of the skull was more than 1 meter 50 cm. Tyrannosaurus was a dinosaur, gigantic size in all respects.
This giant was also one of the last representatives of dinosaurs that did not fly. All found skeletons of tyrannosaurs were in sedimentary rocks late Cretaceous period, in what is now the United States or Canada, although some paleontologists have encountered this type of tyrannosaurus in slightly older rocks of Mongolia: huge representative Tyrannosaurid species, Tarbosaurus.
Tyrannosaurus, like other tyrannosaurids, had very short forelimbs and only two functional fingers on each “hand.” Of all the forearms of this species found, the largest was barely longer than the forearm of an adult. The cross section of the anterior teeth was shaped like English letter D, and on the sides of the jaw there were 12 fairly huge teeth, which were shaped like jagged bananas, and not like the outlines of meat knives, which was inherent in the teeth of most theropods.
Over the years, new finds were found, including several more complete specimens. Moreover, the front “hand” was found only in 1990, when a representative State University Montana, John Horner, published a report on a tyrannosaurus rex that had a preserved “arm.” This find confirmed the presence of only two fingers, which paleontologists assumed, by analogy with other tyrannosaurids. In Osborne's reconstruction, the dinosaur's front foot was three-toed, a reasonable hypothesis based on the fact that all other theropods of the period had only three fingers.
In 1991, on a ranch in South Dakota, a group of traders looking for fossils found Sue's skeleton. It was perhaps the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found. The discovery was followed by a legal struggle for the right to own it. Finally, according to a court decision, the fossil went to the rancher, who in 1997 auctioned it off as the property of the Field Museum (Chicago). The researchers fed high hopes With Sue, they expected her to add enormously to our knowledge of tyrannosaurs.
About thirty Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons were found. The largest skull was one and a half meters long, the teeth reached thirty centimeters in length. The bite pressure of this dinosaur reached several tons. Considering that the tyrannosaurus had very powerful hind legs, maintaining balance with the help of its tail it could develop very high speeds.
The hind legs of a tyrannosaurus have a special structure. They ended with four fingers, three of which were fastened together for greater stability. The fourth finger was bent upward and did not touch the ground. At the end of the finger there was a large nail, which helped to rip open the belly of the prey. The front feet were small with three toes with claws. The posture of the tyrannosaurus was slightly inclined. He could reach speeds of up to five meters per second, and his stride was four meters long. The Tyrannosaurus's tail was heavy and thick. It allowed you to maintain balance while running on two legs.
The spine consisted of ten cervical, twelve thoracic, five sacral and forty caudal vertebrae. The neck was short and thick and supported the large head.
Some of the skeleton's bones were hollow inside. This made it possible to slightly reduce body weight without reducing the strength of the skeleton itself.
It is still not entirely clear whether Trinosaurus was a scavenger or a hunter. The scavenger theory is supported by the presence large nostrils, allowing you to smell the smell of carrion on long distance, the teeth were more suitable for crushing bones.
The fact that the tyrannosaurus could have been a predator is evidenced by the fact that its eyes were in deep depression, some specimens had spines and horny plates on their backs, protecting them from attacks by predators. When paleontologist Peter Larson studied one of the tyrannosaurs, he saw a healed fracture on the fibula, as well as a fractured vertebra. There were also scratches on the facial bones, and a tooth from another tyrannosaurus that was embedded in a cervical vertebra. The scientist suggested that tyrannosaurs had aggressive behavior towards each other. Only the motives remain unclear. Perhaps this was competition for food, or perhaps an example of cannibalism. A more in-depth study of the wounds on the tyrannosaurus showed that these wounds were not traumatic, but infectious in nature. Perhaps these wounds were even inflicted after the death of the animal.
Most likely, the trinosaurus had a mixed diet.
Despite the apparent cruelty of the tyrannosaurus, its female was very scrupulous about her offspring. Before laying eggs, she nested and disguised it under foliage. For two months she does not leave the nest and does not even eat. The nest of a tyrannosaurus is a tasty morsel for scavengers. After the cubs appear, the female will feed and protect them for two months and then abandon them.
Tyrannosaurs are considered predators. There is evidence for this.
There is still controversy over the mode of movement of the tyrannosaurus. Some researchers believe that they could run fast, reaching speeds of up to seventy kilometers per hour. Others believe that tyrannosaurs walked, not ran. Most likely, tyrannosaurs moved like kangaroos, relying on their massive tail and hind legs. Some researchers even suggest that tyrannosaurs moved by jumping. But then he must have had incredible muscles.
Most likely, the tyrannosaurus hunted herbivorous reptiles that lived in swampy areas. Half immersed in swampy mud, the tyrannosaurus pursued its prey through lakes and channels.
The idea that Tyrannosaurus rex was similar to a kangaroo was particularly popular in the mid-twentieth century. But the study of the tracks did not show the presence of tail prints. It is known that all predatory dinosaurs walked on two legs and held their bodies horizontally, and the tail served as a balancer and counterweight. Thus, Tyrannosaurus more likely, looked like a big running bird. This version is also confirmed by traces of the fossil femur of a tyrannosaurus. The small ancestors of Tyrannosaurus rex were feathered with thin, hair-like feathers. The Tyrannosaurus itself may not have had feathers.
Tyrannosaurus was one of the largest terrestrial 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 bones (not very large) 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 argues that tyrannosaurs were purely 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, which suggests good developed sense of smell, which presumably served to locate rotting remains over vast distances;
powerful teeth, 18 cm long each, 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 of tyrannosaurs towards each other, although the motives remain 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, such as modern lions- predators, but can 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 H.G. 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 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. Currently known small ancestors of Tyrannosaurus (for example, Dilong from Early Cretaceous China) were feathered with thin hair-like feathers. The 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 were hollow bones, which contributed to the reduction total mass body 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.
- Computed tomography. 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
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 giant lizard could not pursue 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.
If 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. Whole year The excavation of the entire T. rex lasted. 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 sample was removed only in 1990 by the Museum team Rocky Mountains, which was headed by Jack Horner.
It includes about half of the skeleton. It was here that complete theropod forelimbs were first discovered.
This sample got the name "Wankel Rex" (MOR 555). He was about 18 years old at the time of his death. Adult, but not mature maximum dimensions 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.
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 skeleton's bones 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 toe was on the back of the paw and never touched the ground. Perhaps it served to rip open the flesh of the victim 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. | |
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 was different from that similar body"clever 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 animals large sizes extremely slow. At the same time 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 enough good rationale, 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 of 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 menacing 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 adults. Their hunting areas measured in 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. Small predators scoured everywhere and were always willing to snack on 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.
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 komodo dragon, 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. 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 individuals that had already seen life. All three knew perfectly well how to survive in their cruel world, where a dinosaur ate a 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.
Awkward age: teenage terror among the tyrannosaurs. There is one version that explains why the “Canadian trio” kept their distance from each other. From the very early age baby tyrannosaurs entered into fierce battles 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?": gender issue . 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. Information plate near the exhibit, he confidently states that the remains belonged to a female individual.
The discovery of MOR 1125 was remarkable in that the dinosaur's femur contained soft fabrics. University paleontologist North Carolina Mary Schweitzer, 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 bone tissue, which 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 prehistoric world, the dinosaur required 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": unique structure Tyrannosaurus 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. The teeth of tyrannosaurs were sharp as daggers, but this is not the only reason why 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. Perhaps it is her merit that tyrannosaurs went down in history as one of the largest predators on the planet.
"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 subspecies of tyrannosaurs 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 capture 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 intellect: yes, yes, it was his intellect that allowed small predator dominate in a 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 marks of teeth on the joints of the neck of the Triceratops, which could only be there if the victim’s head was torn off.
The menacing cooing of a tyrannosaurus: they did not 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 You might be disappointed: it probably sounded like cooing.