T-REX (Tyrannosaurus rex )
The most powerful land predator that has ever existed was a giant theropod dinosaur - a super - sized killer armed with massive jaws and teeth that could bite through solid bone.
The tyrannosaurs were the most deadly hunters of the entire 165-million-year Mesozoic Era - the age of dinosaurs. The biggest and most famous of them, Tyrannosaurs rex, evolved near the end of the era, a few million years before the global catastrophe that wiped out all the giant dinosaurs. It was specialized for killing - inflicting huge bites that crippled its prey or caused it to die of shock. It would then rip its victim apart, biting out great chunks of meat and swallowing them whole.
Typical carnivorous dinosaurs had teeth like knife blades, ideal for slicing through skin and flesh. But these blade-like teeth were quite slender, and likely to snap off if the dinosaurs bit into something hard. Tyrannosaurus and its relatives were different. Their teeth were sturdy spikes that could punch through virtually anything. This allowed tyrannosaurus to charge straight into the attack on their powerful hind legs. Most of the dinosaurs they preyed upon didn't stand a chance.
BONE - CRUSHING TEETH
Tyrannosaur teeth were bigger and stronger than those of any meat - eating dinosaurs found so far. The biggest were at least 20 cm (8 in) long. They were more like spears than teeth - sharp - pointed to pierce thick skin and muscle, yet deep - rooted and very tough to give them the strength to bite clean through the bones of their victims.
LOWER JAW
The jaw were deep and short, allowing the jaw muscle to exert huge pressure.
FORWARD - FACING EYES
The eyes faced further forward than those of most dinosaurs. This gave Tyrannosaurus the binocular vision it needed to judge distance accurately and target its prey.
LOWER JAW
The jaws were deep and short, allowing the jaw muscle to exert huge pressure.
MASSIVE NECK MUSCLES
The weight of head was supported by very strong neck muscle. These also helped with tearing prey apart.
SMALL ARM
Each tiny arm had just two sharp - clawed fingers.
HEART
The heart was probably at least ten times the size of human heart. It needed to be, to pump blood around its colossal body.
GIZZARD
Big mouthfuls of meat an shattered bone passed into a muscular, tough - walled gizzard to be ground to a pulp.
BIRD - LIKE FEET
Theropods walked on their toes, like birds. Each foot three strong, forward - pointing toes, and a small toe at the back.
POWERFUL MUSCULAR LEGS
Like all the theropod dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus stood on just two powerful hind legs. These were very muscular at the top, but slim near the ankle for speed.
STOUT CLAWS
Each foot was equipped with stout, strong claws to grip the ground. It is possible that this animal could run quite well, despite its weight.
BACKBONE
The vertebrae that made up the flexible backbone had tall spines linked to strong muscles, giving excellent back strength.
TAIL MUSCLE
Massive muscles flanking the bones of the tail provided strength as well as the weight needed for balance.
LONG, HEAVY TAIL
Extending well beyond the hips, the long tail balanced the dinosaur's heavy head a it charged into the attack on its hind legs.
INTESTINE
As a dedicated hunter, Tyrannosaurus only ate meat. This is easy to digest, so the dinosaur almost certainly had a relatively short intestine.
AIR SACS
Air passed right through the lungs and into a network of air sacs before it was pumped out again. This allowed the lungs to absorb more oxygen with each breath.
RIBCAGE
Strong ribs protected the dinosaur's heart, lungs, and other vital organs from damage.
LUNGS
The lungs were like those of birds - super efficient for gathering the oxygen needed to power the hunter's huge muscles.
3 MILLION YEARS - THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT TYRANNOSAURUS MAY HAVE TERRORIZED THE EARTH.
