Tyrannosaurus tɪˌrænəˈsɔːrəs Tyrannosaurus Tiranosaurio Tyrannosaurus Tiranosaurio

Tyrannosaurus (/tɪˌrænəˈsɔːrəs, taɪ-/)[a] is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species Tyrannosaurus rex (rex meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to T. rex or colloquially T-Rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It lived throughout what is now western North America, on what was then an island continent known as Laramidia. Tyrannosaurus had a much wider range than other tyrannosaurids. Fossils are found in a variety of geological formations dating to the latest Campanian-Maastrichtian ages of the late Cretaceous period, 72.7 to 66 million years ago, with isolated specimens possibly indicating an earlier origin in the middle Campanian. It was the last known member of the tyrannosaurids and among the last non-avian dinosaurs to exist before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.

Tyrannosaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous (Latest Campanian?-Maastrichtian), 72.7–66 Ma
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Possible Middle Campanian record

Reconstruction of the T. rex type specimen at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Dinosauria
Clade:
Saurischia
Clade:
Theropoda
Superfamily:
†Tyrannosauroidea
Family:
†Tyrannosauridae
Tribe:
†Tyrannosaurini
Genus:
†Tyrannosaurus
Osborn, 1905
Type species
†Tyrannosaurus rex
Osborn, 1905
Other species
†T. mcraeensis Dalman et al., 2024
See text
Synonyms
Genus synonymy
Species synonymy
Like other tyrannosaurids, Tyrannosaurus was a bipedal carnivore with a massive skull balanced by a long, heavy tail. Relative to its large and powerful hind limbs, the forelimbs of Tyrannosaurus were short but unusually powerful for their size, and they had two clawed digits. The most complete specimen measures 12.3–12.4 m (40–41 ft) in length, but according to most modern estimates, Tyrannosaurus could have exceeded sizes of 13 m (43 ft) in length, 3.7–4 m (12–13 ft) in hip height, and 8.8 t (8.7 long tons; 9.7 short tons) in mass. Although some other theropods might have rivaled or exceeded Tyrannosaurus in size, it is still among the largest known land predators, with its estimated bite force being the largest among all terrestrial animals. By far the largest carnivore in its environment, Tyrannosaurus rex was most likely an apex predator, preying upon hadrosaurs, juvenile armored herbivores like ceratopsians and ankylosaurs, and possibly sauropods. Some experts have suggested the dinosaur was primarily a scavenger. The question of whether Tyrannosaurus was an apex predator or a pure scavenger was among the longest debates in paleontology. Most paleontologists today accept that Tyrannosaurus was both a predator and a scavenger.
Some specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex are nearly complete skeletons. Soft tissue and proteins have been reported in at least one of these specimens. The abundance of fossil material has allowed significant research into many aspects of the animal's biology, including its life history and biomechanics. The feeding habits, physiology, and potential speed of Tyrannosaurus rex are a few subjects of debate. Its taxonomy is also controversial, as some scientists consider Tarbosaurus bataar from Asia to be a third Tyrannosaurus species, while others maintain Tarbosaurus is a separate genus. Several other genera of North American tyrannosaurids have also been synonymized with Tyrannosaurus. At present, two species of Tyrannosaurus are considered valid: the type species, T. rex, and the earlier in age and more recently discovered T. mcraeensis.
As the archetypal theropod, Tyrannosaurus has been one of the best-known dinosaurs since the early 20th century and has been featured in film, advertising, postal stamps, and many other media.
History of research
See also: Specimens of Tyrannosaurus
Earliest finds
Type specimen of Manospondylus gigas
A tooth from what is now documented as a Tyrannosaurus rex was found in July 1874 upon South Table Mountain (Colorado) by Jarvis Hall (Colorado) student Peter T. Dotson under the auspices of Prof. Arthur Lakes near Golden, Colorado.[1] In the early 1890s, John Bell Hatcher collected postcranial elements in eastern Wyoming. The fossils were believed to be from the large species Ornithomimus grandis (now Deinodon) but are now considered T. rex remains.
In 1892, Edward Drinker Cope found two vertebral fragments of a large dinosaur. Cope believed the fragments belonged to an "agathaumid" (ceratopsid) dinosaur, and named them Manospondylus gigas, meaning "giant porous vertebra", in reference to the numerous openings for blood vessels he found in the bone.[2] The M. gigas remains were, in 1907, identified by Hatcher as those of a theropod rather than a ceratopsid.

Henry Fairfield Osborn recognized the similarity between Manospondylus gigas and T. rex as early as 1917, by which time the second vertebra had been lost. Owing to the fragmentary nature of the Manospondylus #doyouknownature #doyouknownature #doyouknownature