Tyrannosaurus Rex

T-Rex was a huge, ferocious predator that had a thick, heavy skull and a massive 4-foot-long jaw with 50-60 serrated blade-like teeth–some of which were 9 inches long! Scientists believe that its jaw was so big and powerful that it could eat up to 500 pounds of meat and bones in one bite! T-Rex was believed to be a very fast runner, reaching speeds of up to 20 miles per hour and covering up to 15 feet in one step! T-Rex is one of the best known dinosaurs even though it was only in existence for a relatively short period of time. T-Rex roamed the earth just before the dinosaurs became extinct, at the end of the Cretaceous Period.

FACTS & STATS:

HOW TO SAY IT: tye-RAN-uh-SAWR-us rex
LENGTH: 40 ft (12 m)
HEIGHT: 15 - 20 ft (4.6 - 6 m)
WEIGHT: 7 tons
PERIOD: Late Cretaceous Period (68 - 65 MYA)
FAMILY: Tyrannosauridae
DIET: Meat, especially other dinosaurs
WHERE FOUND: Western North America (Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota)

 

Image Description: FMNH PR2081 ("Sue") is in the collection at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL
AMNH 5027 is in the collection at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
BHI 3033 ("Stan") is in the collection at the Black Hills Institute, Hill City, SD
BMRP 2002.4.1 ("Jane") is in the collection at the Burpee Museum of Natural History, Rockford, IL
Scale chart for various specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex. Relative sizes based on skeletal drawings by Scott Hartman. Silhouettes adapted from original drawings by Matt Martyniuk.

 

Image Description: Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton (the specimen AMNH 5027) at American Museum of Natural History in New York City.