Is Tyrannosaurus overrated? We present five of the deadliest species of dinosaurs that terrified tens of millions of years ago.
Dinosaurs appeared on our planet about 230 million years ago. They became extinct 170 million years later. Even then, there were still several tens of millions of years until man entered the arena of history. Nevertheless, thanks to the progress of science, we know more and more about these great reptiles and their habits. Based on the work carried out on excavations in many places around the world, we can even try to prepare a subjective ranking of the five most bloodthirsty of them. Which ones ended up in our ranking?
5. Majungasaurus
This dinosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous, i.e. between 100.5 and 66 million years ago in today's Madagascar, is a classic two-legged carnivore. Its two forelimbs were - as is common in this group of animals - stunted. Adult specimens were up to 11 meters long. At the same time, they were relatively low. They were only 2.5 meters tall.
Dinosaurs appeared on Earth millions of years ago. Today we can only admire them in museums.
The Majungasaurus, however, differs from other reptiles from Jurassic Park. On the basis of mine research, representatives of this species have been proven ... cannibalism . This is quite surprising, because such an action is quite rare among dinosaurs. Meanwhile, these particular specimens were able to devour their kin, even those closely related.
Fortunately, this formidable type has been spreading terror on our planet for a relatively short time. His reign coincided with the end of the age of the dinosaurs.
Majungasaurus, compared to other dinosaurs, were not tall at all. Adults were up to 2.5 meters tall.
4. Allosaurus
When describing this monstrous predator, let the expert speak:"in every possible sense of the word allosaurus was a butcher of the times of the jury . This fierce predator was circling the floodplains and river banks (...) using his head as an ax to murder his victims. " This portrait of the Jurassic beast was drawn by the American palaeontologist Steve Brusatte in his book "The Age of Dinosaurs. From birth to fall ” . It is hard to find a description that appeals to the imagination.
This "butcher" - a reptile reaching up to 12 meters in height - also had another characteristic feature. He was able to open his jaw very wide, thanks to which he would attack his victim with an open mouth, thanks to which he not only cut its skin, but also pulled out muscles. He did it with rows of densely spaced teeth.
Among other dinosaurs, Allosaurus stood out, in addition to its exceptional bestiality, also in the fact that there were two horns above its eyes. Interestingly, according to research, they had a unique shape and size in each individual.
3. Carcharodontosaurus
This huge animal remains one of the largest land-dwelling carnivores in the history of our planet to this day. It was found in the lands of North Africa during the Cretaceous period. The length of his body was impressive:it was over 13 meters.
His teeth initially evoked associations with the teeth of a great white shark among skeleton explorers. However, further studies proved that Carcharodontosaurus had teeth that were even larger and stronger than those of a modern man-eater shark .
Carcharodontosaurus had stronger teeth than the modern man-eater shark. He was easily tore apart a hunted dinner.
Interestingly, this species had a rival among dinosaurs of comparable size and capabilities - the spinosaurus. It was with him that its representatives fought (certainly extremely spectacular) fights for food. This was rarely the case in a world overrun with great reptiles. As a rule, in a given territory one type reigned supreme, at the top of the local food chain.
2. Acrocanthosaurus
Acrocanthosaurs lived in the middle of the Cretaceous period, i.e. about 110 million years ago, in what is now North America. They could be up to 12 meters long, which made them one of the largest living creatures in their ecosystem. And also the leading predators.
What did they look like? They had a long, straight, low-set skull. Their backs, from the neck to the tail, were covered with a row of long and sharp spines . This is where their name comes from - in translation it means "a lizard with high spines". They also had very specific brains. Their shape resembled the letter S, and the areas responsible for the sense of smell were very strongly developed.
Acrocanthosaurs have been feared throughout North America.
These beasts were made to be killers. Their forelimbs, equipped with sharp claws, helped them hunt. Their diet was very broad:it included both other dinosaurs (including the big ones!) And carrion.
1.Tyranosaurus
This probably the most recognizable genre thanks to mass culture, even affectionately called T. Rex , came to rule the world of dinosaurs in the last 20 million Cretaceous years. In fact, he was nothing like his pop culture, sometimes almost likeable images.
"It is impossible to confuse them with another species: big head, athletic body, pathetic arms, muscular legs, long tail . They bit so hard that they could shatter the bones of their victims, ”describes tyrannosaurs in “ The Age of the Dinosaurs. From birth to fall ” Steve Brusatte. One can imagine that they aroused fear and terror among the animals sharing the living space with them.
These predators grew up to 12 meters in length. They weighed up to 6 and a half tons. They lived in the areas of today's North America. Reportedly, they could eat as much as 200 kilograms of meat in just one meal. Then they set off to look for the next victim ...
The most bloodthirsty dinosaur was the tyrannosaur, which could smash the bones of its prey with its enormous head.
Tyrannosaurs were primarily distinguished by a huge and strong jaw. He was able to tighten it most strongly of all the animals known and researched on Earth so far. In this way, he generated a force of up to 60,000 Newtons. For comparison, a human bites at a maximum force of about 600 Newtons. No wonder that often T. Rex he is considered the most bloodthirsty predator that has ever walked the Earth.
Bibliography:
- Steve Brusatte, The age of the dinosaurs. From birth to fall, Horizon 2018 sign.
- Carl Mehling, Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals , Dragon 2017 ..
- Neil Shubin, Our inner menagerie. A journey deep into 3.5 billion years of our history, Prószyński i S-ka 2009.