W B Woah that would scare anyone. I know you have heard the name Tyrannosaurus rex since you were a child, but are you sure you know everything about it? Don’t worry, after watching this video you will run out of questions.
#1 Little but strong arms
The one that ever was known to the public as the deadliest dinosaur in history has become the target of prehistoric jokes because of its little arms. But let me tell you something, those tiny arms are not as harmless as they seem. According to paleontologist Steven Stanley from the University of Hawaii, those tiny arms were dangerous lethal weapons. Just like a feline, these arms could tear off flesh. And don’t even think for a minute that you will be stronger, its biceps alone could curl 430 pounds, beating a fit man’s strength. So now you know, those little arms may have taken its seriousness away, but don’t forget that it was the T-rex that faced up to King Kong.
#2 Feathers covering its skin
I know that when I say T.rex, this image comes to your mind. But according to recent finds, this legendary dinosaur might have looked more like a bird. For example, there are the Yutyrannus huali fossils discovered in 2012 in China, which suggested that the body of this species of Tyrannosaurus was covered in feathers. This characteristic was initially related to small dinosaurs, but this find is the first to prove that a large dinosaur and surprisingly one of the Tyrannosaurus family also had striking feathers. This made many scholars wonder, could the Tyrannosaurus Rex have had its own feathers? The reason small dinosaurs were covered in feathers was to keep themselves warm during cold seasons, but this new find changes all. So, the most likely answer is while Tyrannosaurus rex may not have been completely feathered, it may have had feathers in some specific parts like the head, neck, and tail. That would be so different from what Hollywood has shown us.
#3 Binocular vision
If Jurassic Park were real and you were unlucky enough to run into a Tyrannosaurus rex, well, standing still without making any noise in front of it wouldn’t save you, so Hollywood lied to you. What’s more, the Tyrannosaurus rex’s vision was much more advanced than that of modern eagles or falcons. In 1993, the project “DinoMorph”, carried out at the University of Oregon to digitally recreate the visualization of extinct animals, determined that the Tyrannosaurus binocular range was 55 degrees. A prime example of how good vision it had is to compare it with that of a regular human, if an eagle has 3.6 times better vision than a human, the tyrannosaurus had 13 times superior vision. So, you know, don’t stand still, run as fast as you can.
#4 Manospondylus gigas?
One of the reasons the Tyrannosaurus rex is so popular and known to everyone, forgetting about its terrifying appearance, is its name T.rex, which just sounds cool. But, did you know that this dinosaur was almost named Manospondylus gigas? That’s right, the most iconic dinosaur of all was almost named after something that sounds like cough syrup. The reason was to follow the traditional rule of naming every new species after the discoverer. This caused a debate in 1999 when it was revealed that fossil hunter Edward Drinker Cope had unearthed a tyrannosaurus rex fossil which he named “Manospondylus gigas” just 13 years before the word tyrannosaurus existed. Some scientists thought that M.gigas should replace T.rex as the dinosaur’s official name. However, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, responsible for this kind of matter, ruled that since tyrannosaurus rex had been a valid name for 50 years, it should stay that way. How lucky, ain’t it?
#5 They practiced cannibalism
The Tyrannosaurus rex were masters of prehistoric times, so they had nothing to fear except an attack by their own species. Over the years, tyrannosaurus rex fossils have been found with large bite marks that only such enormous carnivore could have made, so the scientific community concluded that the animal practiced cannibalism. This indicates that from time to time, the tyrannosaurus rex not only hunted its prey but also fed on others of its kind. It is not clear yet whether the dinosaur fought to the death with other T.rex or just, like a vulture, dug in the body to feed on the remains. Even distant relatives of the tyrannosaurus such as the komodo dragon and crocodiles have also cannibalized so this is not much of a surprise to scientists.
#6 Giant species thanks to puberty
The tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest predators ever existed since in its adult stage it was about 12 feet tall. However, teenage dinosaurs didn’t lag behind either and their size was already terrifying despite their young age. Their average height was between 6 to 8 feet at the age of 13 or 15, which was enough to eat a whole human. However, they still couldn’t act like an adult dinosaur, for example, a grown-up tyrannosaurus could bite and eat anything, while these young specimens could only bite meat in a precise and direct way.
#7 A footprint for eternity
Despite the fact that dinosaurs have gone millions of years ago, they continue to surprise us, and the tyrannosaurus rex is one of the most interesting. That’s why the discovery of a dinosaur footprint in 1983 in northern New Mexico at a boy scout camp by Charles Pillmore, shocked the scientific community. Before this find, all suspicious hints regarding T.rex’s footprints were very ambiguous, but this one clearly showed the fingers and dewclaw, which is that digit on the back of the paw, this footprint matched a T.rex’s one. Chances are the fearsome dinosaur left this footprint while stepping on a muddy area of a river having no idea that it would remain there for history.
#8 Capital of T-Rex
There isn’t a lot to see in Buffalo in South Dakota, but this quiet town is also known as the T.rex Capital of the World. That’s right, at least 7 skeletons of the most famous dinosaur ever have been found in this small town. The best-known fossil is Stan, which was unearthed in 1987 and is the best tyrannosaurus rex fossil found to date. However, despite knowing its existence since the 1980s, the excavation began in 1992, and the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research provided them with resources. Once it was done, it took another 30,000 hours to prepare the skeleton for the T.rex World Exhibition, which toured Japan. We can’t blame them for taking so long, after all, there are many pieces to put together, it isn’t as easy as playing with Lego bricks.
#9 A sensitive lover
Famous for having scared the Earth during the late Cretaceous, don’t let its appearance fool you, tyrannosaurs were more sensitive than you think. These dinosaurs had a very touch-sensitive mouth just like human fingerprints are, and they used it to make nests or explore the surroundings. However, scientists have discovered another usage as well, the T.rex rubbed their mouths against their partner’s as a kind of prehistoric foreplay. Research also mentioned that this act was crucial before mating, especially because of the dinosaur’s very sensitive skin. What strange ritual, isn’t it?
If the previous info didn’t surprise you, what is next definitely will, because it is the perfect proof that the T-rex is very important to human history, so much so that it is willing to pay an attractive price.
#10 A sale for history
In 1990, American paleontologist Sue Hendrickson discovered what looked like little T.rex fossils in Hill City, South Dakota. She reported these pieces to the president of the Black Hills institute who gave them the approval and sent a specialized team along with her to unearth it. The fossil, named Sue, became known for being 90% complete. The owner of the ranch where the dinosaur was unearthed withheld the rights to the fossil, but after a dispute started by the Black Hill Institute, the fossil was put up for auction. This made many people be concerned that a private buyer would take Sue away and not let the public gaze at her beauty. The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago shared the same concern, so, along with private organizations and companies such as Disney, McDonald’s, and the California State University, managed to collect the necessary money to purchase Sue. Therefore, during the auction Sue was brought to the Field Museum at the enormous cost of 8 million 362 thousand 500 dollars, which was the highest price ever paid for a dinosaur fossil in history. And thanks to this purchase, all the public can appreciate how majestic this animal was at the museum.
I hope this was the closest Jurassic Park experience you have ever had. What did you find the most interesting thing about the T.rex? Well comment and share. See you next time.
