At a Glance Field Information Species Tyrannosaurus rex Period Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Brain size Large relative to body size for a non-avian dinosaur Sensory strengths Exceptional smell; binocular vision (~55° overlap) Social behaviour Almost certainly solitary; no confirmed pack hunting Communication Unknown; inferred from anatomy only T. rex had a relatively large brain for … Read more
At a Glance Field Information Species Tyrannosaurus rex First described 1905 — Henry Fairfield Osborn, AMNH First material collected 1890s — Barnum Brown, Hell Creek Formation Known specimens 50+ partial skeletons Most complete Sue (FMNH PR 2081), Field Museum, Chicago Heaviest known Scotty (RSM P2523.8), Royal Saskatchewan Museum T. rex was formally named in 1905 … Read more
At a Glance Field Information Species Tyrannosaurus rex Period Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Geographic range Western North America (Laramidia) Key formation Hell Creek Formation (MT, ND, SD, WY) Environment Subtropical floodplains, dense forests, river systems Climate Warm and humid; no polar ice caps T. rex lived in the warm, humid floodplains and forests of western … Read more
At a Glance Field Information Species Tyrannosaurus rex Period Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Extinction event Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K-Pg) boundary Extinction date Approximately 66.043 million years ago Cause Chicxulub asteroid impact and subsequent environmental collapse Survivors None — T. rex lineage ended completely; birds (avian dinosaurs) survived Quick Answer: T. rex went extinct approximately 66 million years … Read more
At a Glance Feature T. rex Albertosaurus Period Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Late Cretaceous (~76–70 Ma) Location Hell Creek Formation, North America Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Alberta, Canada Length 12–13 m (39–43 ft) ~8–9 m (26–30 ft) Weight 8,000–14,000 kg (17,600–30,900 lb) ~1,300–2,500 kg (2,900–5,500 lb) Bite force ~35,000–57,000 N Substantially lower — smaller skull and … Read more
At a Glance Feature T. rex Spinosaurus Period Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Early–Late Cretaceous (~99–93 Ma) Location North America North Africa (Egypt, Morocco) Length 12–13 m (39–43 ft) Possibly 14–15 m (46–49 ft) — highly uncertain Weight 8,000–14,000 kg (17,600–30,900 lb) Estimates vary widely; likely lighter than T. rex Ecological role Terrestrial apex predator Semi-aquatic, … Read more
At a Glance Feature T. rex Ankylosaurus Period Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Late Cretaceous (70–66 Ma) Weight 8,000–14,000 kg (17,600–30,900 lb) ~4,800–8,000 kg (10,600–17,600 lb) Primary weapon ~35,000–57,000 N bite force Bone-crushing tail club Shared formation Hell Creek Formation Hell Creek Formation Confirmed predation evidence None published — T. rex and Ankylosaurus shared the Hell … Read more
At a Glance Feature T. rex Giganotosaurus Period Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Late Cretaceous (99–95 Ma) Location North America South America (Patagonia) Length 12–13 m (39–43 ft) 12–13 m (39–43 ft) Weight 8,000–14,000 kg (17,600–30,900 lb) 6,000–8,000 kg est. (13,200–17,600 lb) Skull length ~1.5 m (5 ft) ~1.8 m (6 ft) Bite strategy Bone-crushing Slicing; … Read more
At a Glance Feature T. rex Triceratops Period Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Length 12–13 m (39–43 ft) 8–9 m (26–30 ft) Weight 8,000–14,000 kg (17,600–30,900 lb) 6,000–12,000 kg (13,200–26,400 lb) Primary weapon Bone-crushing jaws, ~35,000–57,000 N bite force Three horns, neck frill, low centre of gravity Habitat Hell Creek Formation, North … Read more
At a Glance Field Information Species Tyrannosaurus rex Period Late Cretaceous (68–66 Ma) Diet type Carnivore Primary prey Triceratops horridus, Edmontosaurus annectens Feeding evidence Tooth-marked bones, coprolites, healed bite wounds Predator vs. scavenger Active predator; opportunistic scavenging also confirmed Quick Answer: T. rex was a carnivore that primarily ate large plant-eating dinosaurs, principally Triceratops and Edmontosaurus. … Read more