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Tyrannosaurus rex was known to be one of the most fierce species to ever walk on the face of the planet. It had a humongous body, sharp teeth and a powerful jaw which had the ability to crush a car. T rex dinosaurs lived in the late cretaceous period which was about 68 to 66 million years ago. These therapod dinosaur were found in Canada and USA.
Origin of Tyrannosaurus rex
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Tyrannosaurus (Scientific name- Tyrannosaurus rex) are carnivorous dinosaurs that lived approximately 65 million years ago, which is known as the Cretaceous period. They are known as large predators of the genus Theropod dinosaurs and are also known as ‘tyrant lizards’. A curator from the American Museum of Natural History first discovered the fossil of T rex. Dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex were active predators and consumed both animals and plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Interesting Facts About Tyrannosaurus
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Tyrannosaurus is known to be one of the most well-known predators that ever lived on Earth. They were distinguished by their massive body size, serrated teeth, and bone-crushing bite. The following are some interesting facts about Tyrannosaurus:
Age
Tyrannosaurus lived only for a short period around 70-65 million years ago. They lived at the time of the Late Cretaceous Period. Growth lines present on the body of these therapod species determines their age.
Bite Force
Tyrannosaurus was known to have a bone-crushing bite producing a force of about 12000 pounds. The strength of their bite was 3 times greater than a lion. Fossils of Triceratops and Edmontosaurus had bite marks which showed that the bite of T rex could be seen deep into bones.
Appearance
Most theropods had feathers all over their body, and some had protofeathers which were small strands of hair also called dino fuzz. T.rex appeared to have scales over its body. These species were huge about 40ft in length and 12 ft in height
Sounds
One of the most interesting facts about tyrannosaurus was that they made low-frequency sounds like in some birds and crocodiles. This observation was made according to some paleontologists. They also concluded that the sound-producing structures are hard resilient tissues or soft tissues.
Extinction
Tyrannosaurus became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous mass event. One of the last dinosaurs to ever exist was T.rex. A few other interesting facts about Tyrannosaurus are mentioned in the table below:
| Domain | Eukaryota |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Species | Tyrannosaurus rex |
| Named by | Henry Fairfield Osborne 1905 |
| Found in | Laramedia Island |
| Height | 40 ft tall |
| Weight | 7000 kilograms |
| Size of teeth | 12 inches |
| Food | Carnivore |
| Status | Extinct |
| Fossils | Found today in North America |
| Habitat | Lived in humid temperatures, open forests, and coastal areas. |
Description of Tyrannosaurus
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As we know, Tyrannosaurus or Tyrannosaurus rex are large predators having large skeletal features like skulls, teeth, forelimbs, etc. Given below is the description of a Tyrannosaurus.
Body
Before the year 2018, scientists found that the T.rex had slender bodies. After thorough research, it was found that they had gastralia bones which were located on the inner wall of the abdomen. These bones widen the ribcage and bulge the belly making tyrannosaurus appear bulkier.
Skull
Tyrannosaurus had the longest and the strongest skull. The skull was about 4 feet long with a thick skull bone which was strongly fitted to one another. The bite power of Tyrannosaurus was extremely powerful, exceeding 8000 pounds, and was known to crush bones and even a car.
Dentition
The mouth of Tyrannosaurus had an arrangement of 60 teeth that included the lower jaw teeth, upper side teeth, and upper front teeth. A Tyrannosaurus’ front teeth were U-shaped, and the side teeth (cross-section) were D-shaped. They had long protruding teeth of around 12 inches long.
Forelimbs
Tyrannosaurus was known to have very short forelimbs. With the course of evolution, the arms of the tyrannosaurus became vestigial. Large menacing claws on their two finger digits were found in the fossils of the Tyrannosaurus.
Legs and Tail
Tyrannosaurus were known as the slowest creatures because of their massive bodies. Some paleontologists developed a musculoskeletal computer model to check the speed of five theropods. They concluded that tyrannosaurus rex had a speed of 18 mph which was faster than the speed of an elephant. The tail of a Tyrannosaurus was an extended leg muscle that provides strength to the legs.
Things to Remember
- Tyrannosaurus rex were prehistoric creatures that belong to the group - Theropod dinosaurs.
- The oldest specimen analyzed of T rex was just 28 years old.
- The subgroup of theropod dinosaurs is called Coelurosuria which were identified as feathered dinosaurs.
- Bones responsible for giving a wide appearance to Tyrannosaurus are called gastralia.
- One interesting fact about Tyrannosaurus rex is that it could run at a speed of 15 to 25 miles per hour.
- Barnum Brown first discovered the fossil of a T. rex dinosaur.
Sample Questions
Ques. Mention the bite force of Tyrannosaurus. (1 mark)
Ans. Tyrannosaurus were known to have a bone-breaking bite. They had a bite force of between 8000-12000 pounds.
Ques. What is gastralia? Write its functions. (2 marks)
Ans. Gastralia are the bones present in the inner wall of the abdomen. These bones are found in theropod dinosaurs and crocodiles. They provide structural support and help in the movement of the abdomen.
Ques. What is Hell Creek Known for? (2 marks)
Ans. Hell Creek Formation is known for the remains of animals. The fossils of dinosaurs, crocodiles, lizards, and salamanders were found in this formation. The fossils of Tyrannosaurus, fish, and other marine animals were also discovered.
Ques. Did Ceratosaurus belong to the theropod genus? (1 mark)
Ans. Yes, Ceratausaurus were large predators that belong to the genus theropod.
They were carnivorous dinosaurs that lived 160 million years ago.
Ques. What are Prehistoric animals? (2 marks)
Ans. Prehistoric animals are those that have lived more than 6,000 years ago. These animals have now become extinct, for example dinosaurs. Few prehistoric animals are still alive, for example, gharial and Komodo dragon.
Ques. Why do Tyrannosaurus have small arms? (2 marks)
Ans. According to many researchers tyrannosaurus might have small arms due to the following reasons:
- There must be a reduction in limb size every generation.
- They mainly use their jaws because the arms are less important.
- It may occur due to stress fractures.
Ques. How did reproduction in Tyrannosaurus occured? (2 marks)
Ans. Reproduction in Tyrannosaurus occured with the help of Cloaca. Cloaca is an opening for the excretion of fecal matter and is also used to transfer sperm in female vertebrates.
Ques. Write down any three types of Tyrannosaurus. (2 marks)
Ans. The three types of Tyrannosaurus are:
- Lythronax argestes
- Daspletosaurus torosus
- Tarbosaurus bataar
Ques. What animals did Tyrannosaurus rex hunt for? (1 mark)
Ans. Tyrannosaurus rex were carnivorous creatures who used to hunt other large dinosaurs like Ceratopsids, Ankylosaurus, Hadrosaurs, and Sauropods.
Ques. Does Tyrannosaurs have feathers? (1 mark)
Ans. Various species of tyrannosaurus like Dilong paradoxus and Yutyrannus huali had feathers. But Tyrannosaurus rex was known to have only scales over their entire body.
Ques. Where were the fossils of T. rex found? (1 mark)
Ans. Fossils of T.rex were found in North America and the United States, especially in Montanna and Wyoming. The specimens of T.rex are now kept in a museum in North America.
Ques. What was the reason behind the extinction of theropod species?(2 marks)
Ans. The theropod species became extinct about 65 years ago. It was known that, due to the collision of a catastrophic asteroid with the earth several plants and animal species were killed and became extinct including Tyrannosaur rex.
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