T. Rex Was Ferocious Predator, Not Scavenger

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Al

Community ExecutiveMemberCompsognathusJul-16-2013 1:58 PM

A BROKEN T rex tooth found in another dinosaur's tail bone offers the first hard evidence that the king of all meat-eating beasts hunted live prey, US paleontologists say. [img]http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2013/07/16/1226680/165890-broken-tooth-039-proves-039-t-rex-was-predator.jpg[/img] Scientists have long debated whether the fossil record really proves the legendary Tyrannosaurus rex was a ferocious hunter or just a scavenger that feasted on carcasses of the dead. Previous discoveries of dinosaur bones in the bellies of T rex fossils, and even T rex-shaped bites out of the tails of other dinosaurs, have strongly suggested that the beast - from 66-100 million years ago - was a predator. But paleontologists have not been able to rule out that T rex was an opportunistic scavenger, and scientists say the latest research still cannot disprove that theory. Read the rest of the article from the source: [url= http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/world/broken-tooth-proves-t-rex-was-predator/story-e6frfkui-1226680165904#ixzz2ZEblc6tB]http://www.news.com.au/[/url] Also you guys can find aditional information in[url=http://news.discovery.com/animals/dinosaurs/trex-was-predator-not-scavenger-130716.htm]http://news.discovery.com/[/url] take a look of it for sure worth it. And be sure to take a look of the [url=http://www.livescience.com/38184-t-rex-s-predatory-nature-revealed.html]gallery[/url] [img]http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/trex-was-predator-not-scavenger-130716-670x440.jpg[/img]

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Deltadromeus
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July 16, 2013

T. rex was an opportunistic scavenger as well as a hunter. The ratio of hunting to scavenging is probably 5:1, but if you where offered a free meal that is just as good as a meal that you pay for, wouldn't you take it?

Rex Fan 684
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July 16, 2013

Any carnivore would not pass up a free meal. It's food that does not fight back. However, Tyrannosaurus was probably 60-70 percent hunter. People who say the arms are a sign of scavenging, I'm talking to you Jack Horner, are crazy. Wolves are successful hunters. Do they use their front feet? No. Plus, dinosaur bones have been found with HEALED T-rex bite marks on them. This shows that the dinosaur was attacked and escaped the tyrannosaur. T-rex hunted most of the time, end of story.

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Deltadromeus
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July 16, 2013

Well, I guess it depends on how much dead stuff there is. T. rex would choose it over hunting sometimes, almost always if it was freshly dead.

DinoFights
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July 16, 2013

I think T-Rex was the dinosaur equivalent of a Hyena: an opportunistic animal with a bone crushing bite force that hunted when it could and scavenged when it could. Just as the hyena is the largest living canid, tyrannosaurus was the largest theropod of its time. Perfect equivalents, in my opinion.

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Deltadromeus
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July 16, 2013

The grey wolf is the largest canine. Besides, I don't think hyenas re counted as dogs. The hyena also hunted more than scavenged, but it was a closer scavenger than a T. rex.

Lord Vader
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July 16, 2013

T-Rex was a hunter. It did scavenge, but likely hunted more. It was slow, so it would ambush it's prey. A scavenger didn't need a 3-9 ton bite force. At the same time, T-Rex was big and intimidating, so it could just steal a kill from another carnivore if it wanted to.

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x_paden_x
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July 16, 2013

T rex hunted both, he could and usually would bring down his own prey, and he would scavenge a carcass from lower lifeforms from time to time.... think of it this way... if i were to leave a un eaten hamburger completely untouched and okay with a sign saying free food... would you take it??? i would... rex probably would too but he would bring down his own kill... hes built for it...

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DinoFights
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July 16, 2013

@Deltadromeus Hyenas are slightly larger than grey wolves. They're 5 lbs heavier on average and 2 inches taller and longer. You were right about the canine family thing. They're not canines... My bad. I forgot to mention that, also probably like T. Rex, it is social and hunts in impromptu packs of 2-15 members depending on what it's hunting. I think Tyrannosaurus would have, like the spotted hyena, been a little more of a hunter than a scavenger. I'd say 65-ish% hunter.

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Rex Fan 684
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July 16, 2013

Yeah, if I am correct, Hyenas are more closely related to weasels. Anyways, yes, Tyrannosaurs was not especially fast. A big Rex could probably not run faster than 15-20 miles per hour, 25 tops. Now, the juveniles were faster, but the adults strong. When Dinosaurs Roamed America still has, in my opinion, the most accurate depiction of tyrannosaur hunting behavior yet.

"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names." ―Alpha-98