Difference between revisions of "Tyrannosaurus"
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[[Image:Tyrannosaurus rex.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Joe Tucciarone's illustration of a Tyrannosaurus rex.<br /><small>(Rights reserved, reproduced here with consent.)</small>]] | [[Image:Tyrannosaurus rex.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Joe Tucciarone's illustration of a Tyrannosaurus rex.<br /><small>(Rights reserved, reproduced here with consent.)</small>]] | ||
| − | The '''Tyrannosaurus rex''', or T-rex, was a large carnivorous [[dinosaur]] with very small forelimbs, large hind legs and a long tail. It is one of the largest land carnivores to have ever walked the earth, measuring about 13 meters long and 5 meters high.<ref>Brochu, C.R. 2003. Osteology of Tyrannosaurus rex: insights from a nearly complete skeleton and high-resolution computed tomographic analysis of the skull. Memoirs of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. 7: 1-138.</ref> | + | The '''Tyrannosaurus rex''', or T-rex, was a large carnivorous [[dinosaur]] with very small forelimbs, large hind legs and a long tail. It is one of the largest land carnivores to have ever walked the earth, measuring about 13 meters long and 5 meters high.<ref>Brochu, C.R. 2003. Osteology of Tyrannosaurus rex: insights from a nearly complete skeleton and high-resolution computed tomographic analysis of the skull. Memoirs of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. 7: 1-138.</ref> |
| − | [[ | + | [[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth Creationists]] believe that they became extinct sometime since the [[Great Flood]], which was approximately 4,500 years ago. |
| − | [[ | + | [[Theory of evolution|Evolutionary]] scientists believe that the T-rex lived at the end of the [[Cretaceous]] period, approximately 65 million years ago, and that modern birds are the descendants of dinosaurs such as T-rex. <ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/04/12/dinosaur.reut/index.html Bird Family Ties]</ref><ref>[http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/ap_trex_tissues.html T Rex Tissue]</ref> |
== Fossils == | == Fossils == | ||
Revision as of 14:07, June 6, 2007
(Rights reserved, reproduced here with consent.)
The Tyrannosaurus rex, or T-rex, was a large carnivorous dinosaur with very small forelimbs, large hind legs and a long tail. It is one of the largest land carnivores to have ever walked the earth, measuring about 13 meters long and 5 meters high.[1]
Young Earth Creationists believe that they became extinct sometime since the Great Flood, which was approximately 4,500 years ago.
Evolutionary scientists believe that the T-rex lived at the end of the Cretaceous period, approximately 65 million years ago, and that modern birds are the descendants of dinosaurs such as T-rex. [2][3]
Fossils
The earliest find of a Tyrannosaurus rex occurred in 1892. In 1905, after additional discoveries of fossils, the president of the American Museum for Natural History named the dinosaur. Since then, more than 30 specimens have been found.
In 1990, amateur paleontologist Susan Hendrickson discovered the most complete Tyrannosaurus fossil yet. The fossil, named Sue, is also one of the largest Tyrannosaurus specimen discovered.[4]
Paleontologist Mary Schweitzer has discovered unfossilised soft tissue in T-rex skeletons. This was unexpected as tissue was not expected to last anything like 65 million years. Evolutionists saw this as evidence that tissue can last that long, whilst creationists saw it as evidence that the fossils were not that old.[5][6]
Diet
T-rex had forward-facing eyes, which gave it binocular vision. Binocular vision is usually present in carnivores, as it gives them better depth perception and helps them catch their prey[7], therefore it is very likely that Tyrannosaurus was a carnivore. Young earth creationists believe that the Tyrannosaurus, along with all other carnivores, was herbivorous in the Garden of Eden before the Fall, but afterwards it adapted to be carnivorous.
Some have suggested that T-rex was exclusively a scavenger. This may be partially true, since most carnivores today will happily scavenge available meat. However, it probably was not an exclusive scavenger, as most meat-eaters must also hunt in order to survive. T-rex's jaws were also quite adaptive to grabbing live prey, and probably used them in the same way most carnivores do: bit the throat to either crush the larynx and thus kill by suffocation or through blood loss. Also, the T-rex's large body probably required a great amount of food and therefore scavenging probably wouldn't be sufficient to support its high metabolism.[8]
References
- ↑ Brochu, C.R. 2003. Osteology of Tyrannosaurus rex: insights from a nearly complete skeleton and high-resolution computed tomographic analysis of the skull. Memoirs of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. 7: 1-138.
- ↑ Bird Family Ties
- ↑ T Rex Tissue
- ↑ Guinness World Records Ltd. (2003). 2003 Guinness World Records. pg 90.
- ↑ Still soft and stretchy, by Carl Wieland.
- ↑ National Geographic - T. Rex Soft Tissue Found Preserved
- ↑ Natural History Museum - Mammals - Eat or be Eaten
- ↑ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3790/is_200103/ai_n8932547%7C
