[Sir Gawain]

the part of its brain dedicated to smell was huge

How can they possibly know this?

[mewzilla]

With those teeny li'l forearms, my money's on scavenger.

[Huck]

I like to think of T Rex as a giant crow or buzzard. Total comedown. But I seriously get the impression most of these paleo science guys make it up as they go. Ever watch the dino shows on Discovery? Big pile of fiction.

[Right Wing Professor]

Big, scary, extinct garbage truck Science forum ping.

[egarvue]

If I recall correctly, Jack Horner is a rather controversial figure in paleontology. He's the main proponent of "birds as dinosaurs" theory. I'll wait on the opinions of a few more solid palentologists before I'll jump on the Jack Horner bandwagon.

[Mike Darancette]

I would imagine that a large eating machine like T-Rex was opportunistic. If it was already dead - cool, almost dead T-Rex would help it along and on top of that T-Rex was an ambush hunter.

In those days meat was meat. Nothing could be too proud.

[scab4faa]

I vote for Garbage Disposal Unit

[BA63]

Oh No! - My youngest son at age 5 completely lost it (crying) in the movie theatre during Jurassic Park III when Spineosauraus killed T-Rex in a fight.

Wait till I tell him T-Rex was a big garbage truck...

Oh Well, maybe he might become interested in Waste Management some day...

[R. Scott]

Merciless Killer or Garbage Disposal Unit?

Why not both? There are few predators that will not eat carrion, and few scavengers that will not occasionally kill.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

C'mon gang! 35 posts and no picture of Marc Bolan? We're slipping!

[js1138]

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

The preferred prey of all preditors. My dog obedience school instructor says that when your beloved pet jumps at you on you return home, he is really just testing to see if you have been injured and possibly eligible for demotion.

[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?

[jriemer]