T-Rex, Merciless Killer or Garbage Disposal Unit?

Reuters ^ | Thu, Jul 31, 2003 | Jeremy Lovell

[xsrdx]

You forgot the three-headed dragon thingy

Yup, Monster Zero....King Ghidra if you watch the whole show.

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero... best goofy rubber suit monster movie in history.

[xsrdx]

I believe it could have killed old or weak animals," she said.

Duh. As if modern tigers or leopards sit around thinking, "Hey, let's find the biggest, most dangerous prey item we can possibly take on".

As noted, any predator worthy of the name selects the least difficult route to dinner.

[xsrdx]

I can't find any evidence to support the theory that it was a predator

How to explain the recurved, cylindrical teeth? It would *seem* that such teeth would be optimal for holding struggling prey, and delivering a fatal bite.

Vultures scavenge without ANY TEETH AT ALL, so why the head full of friggin Bowie Knives?

[Junior]

Considering current estimates put T. Rex in the 5,000 to 8,000 kg range, waiting for something to die to feed it -- even if it had a lower metabolism (while it may not have been warm blooded, it may have been semi-warm blooded and thus a tad more active than your average reptile) -- seems like a bit of a crapshoot when it comes to securing the next meal for such a really large animal. While I'm sure the average T. Rex wouldn't have turned down a carcass, or snagged another critter's kill, odds are he did a bit of hunting too.

[jriemer]

[xsrdx]

when Spineosauraus killed T-Rex in a fight.

Yeah, that scene was cool -I was rooting for the TRex myself.

There's plenty of evidence to indicate TRex was more than just a big, toothy vulture, though.

Modern Hyena's scavenge a lot of meals too; they also happen to be first class predators when required.

[r9etb]

T-rex's legs bones aren't proportioned like a sprinter's bones. T-rex's femur accounts for about half of the length of its leg...

They're in roughly the same proportion as an ostrich, however, and ostriches are quite swift. It's worth noting the other similarities in skeletal structure, too.

[js1138]

...so why the head full of friggin Bowie Knives?

Possibly the nearest Henckels store was inconveniently located?

[presidio9]

They're in roughly the same proportion as an ostrich, however, and ostriches are quite swift. It's worth noting the other similarities in skeletal structure, too.

FWIW, I think T-Rex was a predator, but the ostrich's femur is clearly a very small of the leg, especially compared to T-Rex.

[BA63]

>There's plenty of evidence to indicate TRex was more than just a big, toothy vulture, though.

Whew! didn't think about that! I wonder what my little guy thinks about Hyena's?
Hey, maybe i can swing him in the mammal direction for a while..my best bet is to do some research and find out the latin name of the Hyena. This is only because he knows every latin name of most dinosaurs known to palentologists, it's amazing!

[Oztrich Boy]

Don't most predators tend to be pack animals?

Trying to see a pack of T.Rex sating on a small carcase the happen to find.

[Oztrich Boy]

argh! coffee deprived.

I meant: Don't most SCAVENGERS tend to be pack animals?

[Junior]

Well, we know they fought over stuff. That famous T. Rex, "Sue," suffered a jaw wound delivered by another T. Rex (it left part of a tooth as evidence).