Paleontologists have revealed the secret of the Tyrannosaurus rex's short forelimbs

Paleontologists at University College London have found that the reason for the appearance of short forelegs in tyrannosaurs and other theropods was the evolution of the skull, which took over the main functions when hunting. This was reported by Popular Science magazine on May 19.

A group of researchers led by Charlie Scherer studied data from 82 species of theropods and identified a direct pattern between an increase in bite force and a reduction in limb length. According to scientists, massive heads with powerful jaws have become the main instrument of attack, making the use of paws when capturing large prey ineffective.

In the course of their work, paleontologists applied a new system for assessing the strength of the skull, taking into account its size, bone joint density and bite force. Tyrannosaurus rex became the leader in jaw power, followed by tyrannotitan, which lived on the territory of modern Argentina. Experts emphasize that when hunting giant sauropods with a length of more than 30 m, the use of claws was less effective than grabbing with jaws.

The correlation between skull strength and limb reduction was confirmed even in relatively small predators. So, mayungasaurus, which lived in Madagascar about 70 million years ago, weighed five times less than a tyrannosaurus, but had a powerful head and tiny paws. The scientists also noted that Carnotaurus had the smallest forelimbs among the studied species — its paws were significantly shorter than those of T. rex.

On May 12, Science Daily magazine reported the identification of a new dinosaur species in Argentina. The specimen was named Bicharracosaurus dionidei and is related to Brachiosaurids. According to the publication, this is the first individual of this Jurassic period species in South America.