From abroad
T. Rex's tail, key to speed and
hunting prowess
 Tyrannosaurus
rex was far from a plodding Cretaceous era scavenger whose long tail
only served to counterbalance the up-front weight of its freakishly big
head.
T. rex's athleticism (and its rear end) has been given a makeover by
University of Alberta graduate student Scott Persons. His extensive
research shows that powerful tail muscles made the giant carnivore one
of the fastest moving hunters of its time.As Persons says, "contrary to
earlier theories, T. rex had more than just junk in its trunk."
The University of Alberta paleontology student began his research by
comparing the tails of modern-day reptiles like crocodiles and Komodo
dragons to T.rex's tail.
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Was T.rex just a scavenger or a hunter as well? |
Persons found for that all animals in his study, the biggest muscles
in the tail are attached to upper leg bones. These caudofemoralis
muscles provide the power stroke allowing fast forward movement.But
Persons found T.rex had one crucial difference in its tail structure.
The tails of both T.rex and modern animals are given their shape and
strength by rib bones attached to the vertebrae. Persons found that the
ribs in the tail of T. rex are located much higher on the tail. That
leaves much more room along the lower end of the tail for the
caudofemoralis muscles to bulk-up and expand. Without rib bones to limit
the size of the caudofemoralis muscles, they became a robust power-plant
enabling T.rex to run.Persons extensive measurements of T.rex bones and
computer modeling shows previous estimates of the muscle mass in the
dinosaur's tall were underestimated by as much as 45 per cent.That led
many earlier T. rex researchers to believe the animal lacked the
necessary muscle mass for running which in turn limited its hunting
skills.
That lack of speed cast T. rex in the role of a scavenger only able
to survive by feeding on animals killed by other predators. As for an T.
rex's exact speed, researchers say that is hard to measure, but Persons
says it could likely run down any other animal in its ecosystem.
Courtesy: Science Daily |
