General Information
Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the best-known forms of fossil reptile theropods that existed at the end of the Cretaceous period. First of all, it should be emphasized that Tyrannosaurus rex is a collective name for an entire genus of four-legged reptiles, so this summary will discuss the most general features of this group. A large number of paleontological discoveries have brought widespread popularity to this species, which allows us to describe Tyrannosaurus with great certainty. It was one of the largest, strongest, and heaviest carnivorous predators of all time, although some herbivorous dinosaur species were more significant in size.
Tyrannosaurs generally led a solitary terrestrial lifestyle and were also quite ferocious and aggressive. The highly massive body — this species could weigh up to 10 tons — prevented it from moving quickly, but Tyrannosaurus’ speed was primarily compensated for by its powerful hind legs. T-rexes are not thought to have been genuinely cold-blooded, but they are also unable to maintain their body temperature for long periods of time (Imster). There is also no unequivocal opinion as to whether T-Rex’s fed on carrion or other reptiles.
Skull structure
The T-Rex’s skull is not heavy and could be up to 1.5 m long. The general structure of the skull geometry allows us to conclude that the dinosaur possessed binocular vision and thus had a developed cortical brain layer. It is believed that the fusion of the nasal bones increased the strength of the Tyrannosaurus bite. The lower jaw of the reptile was mobile, and the teeth had excellent differentiation. Thus, the maxillary teeth had maximum density to prevent the victim from escaping from the killing grip of the T-Rex. Interestingly, some experts believe that T-Rexes had developed lips that were designed to protect the teeth (d’Estries). The brain of tyrannosaurs is perfectly developed: among the sensory systems, in addition to binocular vision, a good sense of smell and the ability to pick up low-frequency sounds stand out.
Structure of the postcranial skeleton
The massive skull of the animal was wholly balanced by a long, thick tail, which formed a straight line with the chordal axis most of the time during the movement of Tyrannosaurus. Tyrannosaurus is a fully bipedal animal because its front legs are reduced and weakened in comparison to its hind legs. Thus, the front paws had only two toes with long claws and a reduced third toe. The hind paws had three massive toes with rigid claws and one balancing phalanx, which was set aside. Typical animal sizes exceeded 10-11 m, and the total number of body vertebrae exceeded 67. Of these, only a smaller portion was devoted to the short, S-shaped neck, which must have been powerful enough to hold the heavy head of the T-Rex. Interestingly, there is increasing evidence that Tyrannosaurus rex had rigid plumage.
Works Cited
d’Estries, Michael. “T. Rex May Have Had a Full Pair of Lips.” TreeHugger. 2019. Web.
Imster, Eleanor. “Eggshells Support Idea that Dinosaurs were Warm-Blooded.” Earth Sky. 2020. Web.