The tyrannosaurus rex It was one of the biggest and baddest dinosaurs to ever walk the planet. But, Exactly how big could this ferocious dinosaur get? In new research, the researchers tried to answer that question.
Paleontologists at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Ontario, estimated that the largest Tyrannosaurus rex could have tipped the scales at a whopping 33,000 pounds (15,000 kilograms), making it heavier than the average school bus, which weighs around 24,000 pounds (11,000 kilograms). kg).
Findings
The scientists presented their findings on November 5. at the Society for Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP) annual conference in Toronto.
Currently, the The heaviest T. rex on record is a specimen nicknamed “Scotty,” which weighed in at 19,555 pounds (8,870 kg). when he was alive, almost as many as 6.5 Volkswagen Beetles.
largest tyrannosaurus rex
According to new research, the largest Tyrannosaurus rex “would have been 70% bigger” than Scotty, said study co-author Jordan Mallon.(opens in a new tab), research scientist and head of paleobiology at the Canadian Museum of Nature. “That almost doubles the size of T. rex,” Mallon told Live Science.
To reach this important conclusion, the scientists first examined the fossil record, which shows that approximately 2.5 billion T-rexes once lived on Earth. However, only a small fraction, just 32 adult fossils, have ever been discovered, giving scientists a limited amount of information to extract.
population figures
Mallon and co-author David Hone, Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of Education at Queen Mary University of London, he also analyzed population numbers and average lifespans to create the largest possible model of the T. rex. They also considered variations in body size based on sexual dimorphism: size differences between the sexes of animals within a species.
“We ended up building two models: one that exhibits zero dimorphism and one with strong dimorphism,” Mallon said. “If T. rex were dimorphic, we estimate it would have weighed up to 53,000 pounds (24,000 kg), but we reject that model because if it were true, we would have found even larger individuals by now.”
“Speculations”
Using these data, the scientists were able to model the growth curve of T. rex throughout its life and estimate how much an adult might have grown.
Mallon cautioned that until a T. rex is found that is comparable in size to the model, the conclusions of the model are purely speculative.
“This is just a thought experiment with some numbers behind it. It’s something that’s fun to think about.” Mallon said.
In fact, the research highlights how difficult it is for paleontologists to draw conclusions about dinosaur species from a very limited fossil record.
“This reminds us that what we know about dinosaurs is not very much, as the sample sizes are so small,” Thomas Carr .(opens in a new tab), a Carthage College vertebrate paleontologist told Live Science. in Kenosha, Wisconsin, who was not involved in the new research. “Right now, we’re nowhere near the sample size needed, especially when compared to other animal species.”
Size
Carr, who attended the SVP conference, added that it’s plausible that T.rex was much larger than any individual scientist has found so far.
“It’s really a great animal,” Carr said. “Imagining a T. rex of that magnitude is extraordinary, and I think an animal of that size is within reach statistically.”