
New bone fragments found in Wyoming suggest that the T-Rex had cannibalistic behavior.
Recent research endeavors in the field of paleontology reveal that T-Rex hunter was actually a cannibal. During an excavation in Lance Formation, Wyoming, scientists have unearthed a couple of shattered bone fragments.
After further investigations regarding the origin of the bone fragments, the team of scientists led by Matthew McLain from the Loma Linda University, have discovered that they actually belong to a Tyrannosaurus Rex, one of the fiercest predators on Earth. Carbon dating places the dinosaur’s time of death at around 66 million years ago.
Although several similar fossils have been dug up all over the state, these bone fragments are of a great scientific significance. What was spectacular about a moldy bone? Upon closer analysis, the team of paleontologists has found a couple of markings on them and something that resembles a groove.
Taking predatorily behavior into account, scientists hypothesized that the large beast was hunted down and then eaten by predators. The serrated markings on each bone suggested that they use both their teeth and claws in order to rip the flesh of the bone.
By carefully analyzing the larger grooves on the bone fragment and measuring the width of the marks, scientists have come up with some very interesting aspects regarding the dinosaur’s unusual dining etiquette. T-Rex hunter was actually a cannibal. This finding was actually reinforced by the fact that the serrated formation is consistent with the dental disposition of a theropod.
McLain explains that only two types of theropods were found in the Lance Formation: the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Nanotyrannus Lancesis, thus proving without a shadow of a doubt that the Tyrannosaurus Rex was in fact a cannibal, preying on its brethren.
The enthusiasm is high among members of the scientific community because this is proof that T-Rex was both hunter and cannibal.
The T-Rex is considered to be the largest land predator in Earth’s Natural history. The dinosaur belongs to the coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur family. According to data gathered on the T-Rex dinosaur it seems that these large reptiles lived in the western part of the North American continent. The lizard was bipedal, possessed a massive skull and a large and heavy tail. Skeletal reconstitutions of the T-Rex puts him at about 12.3 meters in length and 4 meters tall. A specimen of this dinosaur family weighted up to seven and a half tons and, for a large period of time, it was thought that he was a scavenger.
Image source:www.wikimedia.org
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