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IMAGE: Skeletons of four tyrannosaurid specimens tested in the study view more
Credit: Clockwise from above left: adult Tyrannosaurus rex Sue (FMNH PR 2081) (Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL; photo by the Field Museum), juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex Jane (BMRP 2002.4.1) (Burpee.
By closely examining the jaw mechanics of juvenile and adult tyrannosaurids, some of the fiercest dinosaurs to inhabit earth, scientists led by the University of Bristol have uncovered differences in how they bit into their prey.
They found that younger tyrannosaurs were incapable of delivering the bone-crunching bite that is often synonymous with the Tyrannosaurus Rex and that adult specimens were far better equipped for tearing out chunks of flesh and bone with their massive, deeply set jaws.
It s often referred to as the King of the Dinosaurs , but a new study suggests that T.Rex wasn t so scary after all - at least while it was a teen.
Researchers have analysed the jaw mechanics of young and adult tyrannosaurids to uncover how they bit into their prey.
Their analysis suggests that younger tyrannosaurs were incapable of delivering bone-crushing bits, and that adults were much better at tearing out chunks of flesh from their prey.
This indicates that younger tyrannousaurs may have targeted smaller prey, before moving on to larger creatures as they aged and their jaws became stronger.
Younger Tyrannosaurus Rex bites were less ferocious than their adult counterparts miragenews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from miragenews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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IMAGE: Modern and fossil lizards have many different tooth types. These are linked to different diets and can be used to assess dietary diversity through time in fossils. view more
Credit: Tom Stubbs
New research has revealed that the diets of early lizards and snakes, which lived alongside dinosaurs around 100 million years ago, were more varied and advanced than previously thought.
The study, led by the University of Bristol and published in
Royal Society Open Science, showed lizards, snakes, and mosasaurs in the Cretaceous period already had the full spectrum of diet types, including flesh-eating and plant-based, which they have today.