The dino-daddy of all meat eaters

NewScientist.com ^ | 2/13/06 | Jeff Hecht

[NormsRevenge]

[stevem]

When my oldest daughter was about eight she called the flying dinosaur a squawkasaurus.

[peyton randolph]

No doubt Dr. Dino will be able to explain how the Spinosaurus co-existed with, and was ridden by, Adam & Eve.

[Dick Vomer]

T-REX..... marcusbolanus

[tje]

I'd recommend a Weatherby 460..

[Tired of Taxes]

T. Rex's rep just keeps slipping further. The last theory I heard was that T.Rex was probably a scavenger, not a predator.

But I can't remember if that new theory was ever debunked. They went back and forth with that one for awhile.

[shooter223]

or a Barrett .50

[DuncanWaring]

I'd recommend something belt-fed or crew-served.

[satchmodog9]

gas powered

[Centurion2000]

Now that would be an interesting hunting experience. Well, only if you didn't mind humping a 20mm antitank rifle to get it.

[wolfpat]

T.Rex was probably both predator and scavenger. It's teeth had serrations, like the Komodo Dragon. The serrations allow bacteria to multiply in the mouth, and will infect the prey after a bite, making it easier to kill.

[andysandmikesmom]

Now dont forget the other explantion for dinosaur bones...that there really were not any dinosaurs roaming alive on the earth, but the devil just put those bones there, to mislead men....

[Al Simmons]

Where to start? OK.

1. TRex still has - hands down - the most powerful jaws ever seen in a terrestrial predator. Therefore, while the outcome can't be predicted, if TRex got the 'first bite in', it would have been curtains for the competition;

2. This ain't really news - there are at least 2 fairly complete Spinosaurus skulls in the hands of private collectors that measure in the neighborhood of 8 feet (!) in length. Dr. Thomas Holtz was telling me recently that he had reviewed one of them for an upcoming publication, so dinophiles - watch for it.

3. Even if a Spinosaur was 51 feet long, it would have been no match for a TRex. Spinosaurs were relatively slender fisheaters, with crocodile-like teeth and very thin and long jaws, which would have been a weak weapon against a muscular TRex. One chomp from the TRex's 'nutcracker' jaw and it would have been all over for Spino (The one in the JP III movie was a pure fantasy creature).

4. Lastly, TRex was NOT a scavenger (although we may surmise that it ocassionally DID scavenge as do all predators).

[Centurion2000]

Andrewsarchus: about 4-5.5m long and standing about 1.8-2m at the shoulder

I'd still rather hunt this puppy. The largest land mammal predator ever.

[Eagles6]

A Ma Deuce for me, thank you.

[Al Simmons]

Well, its either him or an Entelodont (an omnivorous rhino-sized pig with a BAD attitude and a mouthfull of hippo-like teeth)...

[SkyPilot]

Here.

[Al Simmons]

Nasty looking suckers, weren't they?

[Al Simmons]

Please tell me you posted that link as an attempt at humor.

Please.

[ExcursionGuy84]

Anybody got stills of that Battle between those 2 Terribel Lizards???