Is the Tyrannosaurus Rex a predator or a scavenger? The habits of this dinosaur continue to spark debate. Two new studies from the United States have further complicated the picture of this “tyrant lizard.”
The first study demonstrates that T. Rex possessed several keen senses, qualifying them as adept predators, while the second study asserts that they had a somewhat rigid and sluggish gait.
The research team, led by Lawrence Witeman from Ohio University, employed advanced X-ray tomography techniques to analyze the fossilized skulls of dozens of T. Rex specimens, reconstructing their brains, including the inner ear. The researchers concluded that this dinosaur had excellent hearing and balance, traits associated with small and agile animals.
Meanwhile, dinosaur expert Jack Homer from the Rockies Museum in Montana has discovered remnants of soft tissue on the vertebrae of the dinosaur, particularly in the ligaments connecting the vertebrae. According to Homer, the rigid ligaments and vertebrae of the T. Rex contributed to a heavy gait. He suggests that the tyrant lizard was primarily a scavenger.
These studies were presented in St. Louis, where the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) was held.
