Tyrannosaurus rex didn't get its ferocious bite until it was an adult - new research

The Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the most well known of all the dinosaurs, particularly notable for its ferocious jaws.

Adult tyrannosaurs – including the species T. rex – used a “puncture-pull” biting technique, in which they bit down and swallowed chunks of flesh and bone. But, it turns out, young tyrannosaurs didn’t possess the deep jaws necessary to undertake such a bite. Their jaws weren’t equipped to deal with the significant stresses of biting in this way.

In a new study, my colleague Eric Snively of Oklahoma State University and I examined how…

© La Conversation - mardi 9 mars 2021