T. rex: King with Great Power and Senses
Published on 16 October 2023

At any mention of dinosaurs, the first thing that pops into most heads is the mighty T. rex. Its full name is Tyrannosaurus rex, which means "king of the tyrant lizards". This ferocious predator dominated the ancient landscapes of the late Cretaceous period which was around 68 to 66 million years ago.

T. rex was a theropod - a group of carnivorous dinosaurs that were typically bipedal, meaning they used only two legs for walking. While this dinosaur had two strong hind limbs, clues left behind by T. rex fossils suggest its forelimbs were short and small with two clawed digits. It also had a long tail to help maintain its balance.

Even a juvenile T. rex could reach up to four to five metres long and weigh up to 900 kilograms, which is about as heavy as a teenage elephant. Full-grown adults could be more than 12 metres long and weigh over 5,000 kilograms. The ferocious dinosaur's most fearsome weapon was its movable jaw. While it could open its jaws to 63.5 degrees, 28 degrees was its optimal gape angle - the angle at which it could generate the most force. Each T. rex had about 60 sharp and serrated teeth, which were replaced throughout its life. These were excellent for puncturing and tearing prey, allowing the ancient scavenger and predator to easily make a meal of small herbivorous dinosaurs.

Besides, the sensory capabilities of T. rex have always been a subject of interest for palaeontologists. Research suggests that its eyesight powered by diencephalon could be as sharp as an eagle. Additionally, T. rex likely possessed a capable olfactory bulb, which is the part of the brain responsible for the sense of smell. The great vision and acute sense of smell of T. rex would have enabled it to trace and locate potential prey.

Tragically, T. rex, like many other dinosaurs, were wiped out in the Cretaceous mass extinction.

Learn more about this mighty predator at our new exhibition, "Extinction·Resilience", at the Palaeontology Gallery. It features Paul the T. rex, a lifelike robotic dinosaur who teaches visitors about what it was like living during the Cretaceous period.