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Tyrannosaurus rex, 'tyrant lizard'
Large carnivores, perhaps the best known of dinosaurs.
Grades 1 – 12
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Scenes
Tyrannosaurus rex
Size
- Length: 10–14 m
- Weight: 5.6–6.9 tons
- Hip height: 4 m
Anatomy
- massive head
- incisiform teeth curved backwards
- short, muscular neck
- small forelimbs (2 fingers)
- long, heavy tail
- large, muscular hind legs
Skeleton
Reconstruction
Meet the Tyrant
Narration
The Tyrannosaurus Rex, meaning ‘tyrant lizard’, is the best known species in the genus Tyrannosaurus. It lived in the late Cretaceous Period, 65.5–67 million years ago. It may have been an apex predator, but it has also been suggested that it was a scavenger.
The forelegs of the T. Rex were small but strong. They may have been used in mating, feeding or helping the animal rise from a resting position. The hind legs were large and strong and used for running. The tail was long and heavy, to counterbalance the huge weight of the head and the body. According to previous representations, the tail served as a support for the body, but this view has been proved wrong. The spine of the T. Rex was nearly horizontal as it walked.
The first partial T. Rex skeleton was found in the US in 1900. Since then more than 30 have been found, they provide scientists with a great deal of information about the characteristics of these ancient reptiles.
