Species Profile: Tyrannosaurus

Tyrannosaurus rex is the most famous and well studied dinosaur in history. The original specimens were uncovered by Barnum Brown in the early 1900s with the official description being published in 1905. Following these finds, several other skeletons showed Tyrannosaurus to be one of the largest known terrestrial predators with a length of more then 40 ft from nose to tail in some individuals.

Many Tyrannosaurus skeletons show numerous injuries ranging from bite marks on the skull to diseases that can be seen in humans like arthritis. This makes it an animal of interest to High Plains Paleontology and our efforts in paleopathology (the study of injuries in dinosaurs).  Furthermore, Tyrannosaurus was the apex predator of the Hell Creek environment hunting large animals like Triceratops and Edmontosaurus. Studies on the braincase of T. rex indicate that it may have had the best sense of smell when compared to other land animals, living or extinct. 

T. rex and other meat eating dinosaurs are also known to have shed their teeth throughout their lives, making it one of the most commonly found remains of this dinosaur.