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- Tyrannosaurus rex was a species of
dinosaur
(for more information see Tyrannosaurus Classification).
- Only one species of Tyrannosaurus is currently known:
However a number of related types of dinosaurs, some of which probably lived
similar lifestyles, are also known.
- Tyrannosaurus rex was a carnivore (ate meat).
However it is not clear whether it was an active predator, hunting its
prey itself, or a scavenger, feeding on carcasses killed by other
dinosaurs.
- Some scientists argue that is was an active predator. Among other things,
they point to the largest areas of its brain devoted to smell and vision,
both of which would have been useful for hunting. Additionally, these
scientists note that Tyrannosaurus rex had forward-facing eyes, allowing it
see things with both eyes together (known as "binocular vision"),
and judge distances well - a common characteristic of active predators.
- But other scientists argue that is was probably relatively slow-moving and therefore a scavenger.
- Some scientists argue that is was an active predator. Among other things,
they point to the largest areas of its brain devoted to smell and vision,
both of which would have been useful for hunting. Additionally, these
scientists note that Tyrannosaurus rex had forward-facing eyes, allowing it
see things with both eyes together (known as "binocular vision"),
and judge distances well - a common characteristic of active predators.
- Tyrannosaurus rex lived in the late
Cretaceous period, between about 67 million
and 65 million years ago. It was one of the dinosaurs which died out during the
K-T Extinction -
the mass extinction which marked the end of the period in which dinosaurs
lived.
- Tyrannosaurus rex lived in North America and Asia.
- Tyrannosaurus rex was huge. An average adult Tyrannosaurus rex was
about 11.9 meters (39 feet) long, about 6.1 meters (20 feet) tall, and
weighed around 7 tons. Some adults were even larger - the largest currently
known is 12.8 meters (42 feet) long.
- Despite its huge size, Tyrannosaurus rex was not the largest dinosaur - it
was not even the largest carnivorous (meat-eating) dinosaur:
- Larger dinosaurs included many types of the herbivorous (plant-eating)
sauropods.
- Larger carnivorous (meat-eating) dinosaurs included Giganotosaurus, and Spinosaurus.
- Larger dinosaurs included many types of the herbivorous (plant-eating)
sauropods.
- Tyrannosaurus was discovered by
Barnum Brown in
1902
who found its fossils
in Montana.
- The name "Tyrannosaurus rex" was chosen Henry Fairfield Osborn in 1905. The name "Tyrannosaurus rex", like most scientific names, is derived from ancient Greek - it means "tyrant king lizard".
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