Tyrannosaurus
genus of large Late Cretaceous tyrannosaurids / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tyrannosaurus (meaning "tyrant lizard")[1] was a large predatory dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous, 68 to 65 million years ago.[2]
Tyrannosaurus | |
---|---|
Skeleton at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | Theropoda |
Family: | †Tyrannosauridae |
Subfamily: | †Tyrannosaurinae |
Genus: | †Tyrannosaurus Osborn, 1905 |
Type species | |
†Tyrannosaurus rex Osborn, 1905 | |
Other species | |
| |
Synonyms | |
Genus synonymy
Species synonymy
|
Tyrannosaurus was a bipedal carnivore with a massive skull balanced by a long, heavy tail. Compared to the large and powerful hind limbs, its forelimbs were small, but powerful for their size. They had two clawed digits.
There is discussion as to whether it was a hunter or a scavenger. Like most dominant meat-eaters of today, such as lions and hyenas, Tyrannosaurus might have been both. It had a very strong jaw, and its bite power could snap the bones of smaller dinosaurs.
The most famous species of tyrannosaurus is Tyrannosaurus rex. More than 30 specimens have been found. Some of them are nearly complete skeletons, and soft tissue and proteins have been reported in at least one of these specimens. Research is done on its biology, life history and biomechanics. The feeding habits, physiology and potential speed of Tyrannosaurus rex are some topics of debate.[3] Some scientists think Tarbosaurus bataar from Asia is a second species of Tyrannosaurus, but others think Tarbosaurus is a separate genus.
Tyrannosaurus became extinct in the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, which wiped out half of all species on Earth.