Researchers Charge Tyrannosaurus Rex Was a Chicken and a Baby Killer (sound, light)

[gy2020]

Although past research has suggested Tyrannosaurus rex was related to chickens, now findings hint this giant predator might have acted chicken too.
Instead of picking on dinosaurs its own size, researchers now suggest T. rex was a baby killer that liked to swallow defenseless prey whole.



Researchers Charge Tyrannosaurus Rex Was a Chicken and a Baby Killer - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com

[bluepacific]

Originally Posted by gy2020

Although past research has suggested Tyrannosaurus rex was related to chickens, now findings hint this giant predator might have acted chicken too.
Instead of picking on dinosaurs its own size, researchers now suggest T. rex was a baby killer that liked to swallow defenseless prey whole.
Researchers Charge Tyrannosaurus Rex Was a Chicken and a Baby Killer - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com

Much of this info was brought out years ago and I agree with it. Rather than the T-Rex of Jurasic Park fame, I think the animal was mostly a type of scavenger cleanup machine for keeping that environment clean and disease free. I mean if some Brachiosaurs died, then there'd be one heck of a mess for all the billions of bacteria to deal with.


But let the Hollywood spirit mediums channel the dead bones of these things and tell us any fable they wish. Let's face it. A large docile shy scavenger does not make for a good high ratings movie when you're purpose in creating such is fame, awards and the big coin.

[GregW]

All the top predators look for easy meat. Have you ever seen a house cat attack a full grown ground hog or beaver? Scavenging and baby killing are at the top of the easy meat list. Have any of you ever considered just how big a wallop a bronto's tail could deliver to a light boned Allosaur? We are talking major damage here. Besides T. Rex preyed on Triceratops and Allosaurs liked young Bronto's. I assume everybody ate Hadrosaurs.

[jimboburnsy]

There has been some debateable fossil evidence of healed skeletal injuries in Jurrasic herbivores that were likely to have been caused by T-Rex. I have little doubt that T-Rex was an opportunistic feeder and would not be above scavenging. Lions will frequently drive cheetahs and leopards off of their kills, I'm sure T-Rex was very good at the same. Examination of the olfactory lobe and the large nasal cavities suggests that T-Rex had an extremely good sense of smell. A carrion eater would need that. However, he was also built to run. A carrion eater would not need that. There isn't much of a consensus about the niche T-Rex filled except that Hollywood is wrong.

[bluepacific]

Originally Posted by jimboburnsy

There has been some debateable fossil evidence of healed skeletal injuries in Jurrasic herbivores that were likely to have been caused by T-Rex. I have little doubt that T-Rex was an opportunistic feeder and would not be above scavenging. Lions will frequently drive cheetahs and leopards off of their kills, I'm sure T-Rex was very good at the same. Examination of the olfactory lobe and the large nasal cavities suggests that T-Rex had an extremely good sense of smell. A carrion eater would need that. However, he was also built to run. A carrion eater would not need that. There isn't much of a consensus about the niche T-Rex filled except that Hollywood is wrong.

You know, one of the other things I would say Hollywood is wrong about is the continued ferocious roaring they always have a T-Rex engaged in as it hunts. So loud in fact that it appears to be heard over a mile away. Does'nt sound very bright when it comes to the hunt. But then again, the Hollywood version T-Rex has over exagerated to sell all those tickets to customers who want to be frightened out of their wits.

[GregW]

Old T-Rex was the top of the food chain predator in his ecosystem. The nitch was similar to the big cats in much of our current world. The old portrayals as a big slow lumbering carrion eater are pretty obviously wrong. This thing was big but in order to fill the nitch as top hunter he had to be strong, fast and agile. I suspect the only competitor would have been other T-rex (probably males - think giant **** fights) looking for territory/females/food. There is also a possibility that the females hunted in packs much like a flock of chickens or a bunch of buzzards. IIRC their primary prey were buffalo like Triceratops. This was a huge walking pincushion that apparently was a herbivore that traveled in packs. Not easy meat unless separated from the herd and sick or damaged.

If we had time machines, I would like to observe an episode of "Truly Dangerous Game". Observe it from a safe distance or inside a tank.