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    Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts

    Tadashi

    Written by Tadashi

    Modified & Updated: 28 Apr 2024

    Jessica Corbett

    Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

    Expert Verified Editorial Guidelines
    Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts, T-Rex

    Mention the word dinosaur, and it’s likely that the Tyrannosaurus Rex comes to mind. Also known as “T-Rex”,  the Tyrannosaurus Rex is practically the poster child for dinosaurs around the world. And in over 65 million years, no other predator has become as successful as the T-Rex. Learn more about this king of dinosaurs with these 40 Tyrannosaurus Rex facts.

    Quick Facts
    Essential Facts
    Interesting Facts
    1. 01Scientists estimated that the T-Rex could grow up to a height of 6 meters.
    2. 02Their bodies could also grow over 12 meters long.
    3. 03A T-Rex’s skull alone could measure over 1 meter long.
    4. 04They could also weigh as much as 14 metric tons.
    5. 05A T-Rex’s bite could exert up to 35,000 Newtons, compared to a human’s maximum bite force of only 300 Newtons.
    1. 01Scientists first found T-Rex’s fossils, specifically teeth, in 1874, at the Arthur Lakes in Colorado.
    2. 02Barnum Brown found the first incomplete T-Rex skeleton in 1900.
    3. 03He later found a second, also incomplete T-Rex skeleton in 1902.
    4. 04WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, and the Korean War, all caused studies into the T-Rex to decline until the 1960s.
    5. 05William MacMannis’ discovery of another incomplete T-Rex skeleton in 1967 revived the study of the dinosaur.
    6. 06Charles Pillmore discovered the first fossilized T-Rex footprint in 1983.
    7. 07Sue Hendrickson discovered the most complete, at around 85%, T-Rex skeleton thus far in 1990, and which scientists named after her.
    8. 08Jack Horner discovered 5 T-Rex skeletons in a single site in 2000.
    9. 09Phil Manning discovered another fossilized T-Rex footprint in 2007.
    10. 10Possible fossilized T-Rex footprints later became discovered in 2016, but remain debated among scientists today.
    1. 01Tyrannosaurus Rex literally means Tyrant King of Lizards.
    2. 02Scientists now consider the name as inaccurate, as dinosaurs became the ancestors of modern birds.
    3. 03Scientists estimate that the T-Rex could travel on average at a walking speed of 5 kph.
    4. 04When running, they estimate the T-Rex could reach speeds of up to 27 kph.
    5. 05Scientists now think that the T-Rex both actively hunted prey, as well as scavenged the corpses of dead dinosaurs.
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