Has T. rex lost its bite? Menacing snarl may be wrong
NEW YORK — The Tyrannosaurus rex is often shown baring massive, sharp teeth, like the ferocious creature in “Jurassic Park.” But new research suggests that this classic image might be wrong. Some thought the predators’ teeth were just too big to fit in their mouths, said study author Thomas Cullen, a paleontologist at Auburn University in Alabama. For a creature like a crocodile, whose teeth stick out of its mouth, the exposed part gets worn down quickly — “like someone’s taken a sander to the side of the tooth,” said another study author Mark Witton, a paleoartist at England’s University of Portsmouth. With this evidence and other clues from the dinosaurs’ anatomy, the study makes a good case for lipped tyrannosaurs, said University of Maryland paleontologist Thomas Holtz, who was not involved with the study.
Fossils: T. rex had complex nerve sensors in the tips of its jaws, study finds
Discover Related
New research reveals why saber-toothed predators evolved their deadly teeth
Ancient saber-toothed predator found in Spain is the oldest of its kind
Revealing the bite: We finally know how jaws evolved in snakes and lizards
Teeth find shows meat-eating dinosaurs roamed East Sussex 135 million yeas ago
Huge study of fossilised dinosaur poo reveals how beasts came to rule the earth
Komodo dragons’ metal-coated teeth to shine light on killer dinosaurs
The very first dinosaur was named 200 years ago – just don’t call it a lizard
Scientists discover distant cousin of T-rex hiding in plain sight
Was the “Nanotyrannus” real? Or just a young T. rex? Does it matter?
This dinosaur's last meal was another young dinosaur
Small mammals may have hunted dinosaurs for food, a new study says
Fossils show ancient long-necked sea beast's 'gruesome' decapitation
Triassic herbivores starved to death as diet took toll on teeth, study suggests
Scientists discover new dinosaur species that may be largest ever
How to build a giant? Sauropod dinosaurs did it 36 different ways
T. rex skeleton sells for more than $5M at Zurich auction
T. rex skeleton fetches more than $6 million at auction
Rare Tyrannosaurus-Rex skeleton expected to fetch $5.6- $8.9 million at Zurich auction
Dinosaur larger than T. rex couldn’t swim well despite large fish being on the menu