Tyrannosaurus Rex is known to be one of the most ferocious theropods ever lived on planet earth. They have a massive body, sharp teeth, and jaws, and it is so powerful that it can even crush a car. With their strong jaw power, you might be curious how many teeth T. Rex has, enabling it to get its reputation. With evidence from fossils, teeth quality and quantity can be assessed, giving a view of this dinosaur’s lifestyle and an estimated number of strong teeth.
How many teeth does a T.Rex have? Tyrannosaurus rex has 60 serrated teeth. It enables them to rip off their prey’s flesh. Its teeth are higher than Utahraptor with around 30s but lesser than the Giganotosaurus with 76 non-serrated teeth.
T-Rex is famous in western North America for being a carnivore dominating the vast forested river valleys in the late cretaceous period about 68 million years ago. Trex or Tyrannosaurus dinosaur has an extremely strong and powerful bite and have been known to be the most dangerous predators to have roamed our planet.
The teeth play a major role in its deadly bite; hence this article will share how many teeth T-Rex possesses. It will also discuss other facts about other carnivorous dinosaur species and their teeth morphology.
A Look at Different T. Rex Teeth Fossil Skulls
When studying fossils, one will always note dentition patterns in skulls. In the study of T-Rex skulls, some specimens provided a good basis for teeth counts.
Stan and Sue The T-Rex: An Interesting Find
T.Rex fossil finds have been a common find since paleontologists started excavation. Based on their study, it has a lifespan of about 30 years. Their name came from the Greek word Tyrannosaurus, which means Tyrant Lizards. They have a lot of similarities with birds. Their arms were very short, but they could still reach their mouth.
To date, two fossil skulls contributed many facts about the T-Rex habit, namely Stan and Sue. Stan the Trex, also known by his inventory number, “BHI 3033,” was a Trex fossil found in South Dakota in Hell Creek Formation in 1987 and later excavated in 1992.
According to the study, it was the fifth most complete TRex to be found in the world up to date. Stan had a perfectly preserved skull, and it was the best Trex skull discovered in history; although bones were separated from each other, it was still well preserved and still ideal for study.
Through Stan, scientists discovered and studied the cranial kinesis of Trex’s (or movement of the skull or bones). Stan had a narrow pelvis, so scientists were confident Stan was a male Trex.
Stan was about 66 million years old and is 11.7 meters in length and about 3.64 meters tall at the hip, but Stan was later auctioned for about 8 million USD.
On August 12, 1990, another fossil was discovered by a fossil collector and was named after her, Sue Hendrickson. Sue was called “FMNH PR 2081” and was one of the most extensive, best-preserved specimens ever found.
What Kind of Teeth Did a T. Rex Have? Did T. Rex Have Serrated Teeth?
Talking about teeth and jaw power, the T-Rex is the number one dinosaur that will probably come to mind with this dinosaur’s lifestyle. Here is a detailed look at a T-Rex and teeth and a brief comparison between teeth in carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs.
Carnivorous Teeth Vs. Herbivorous Teeth: A Brief Shape Comparison
Carnivory and herbivory are the common eating habits of dinosaurs in the early periods, and one factor that is consistent until now with this diet is teeth morphology. In biology, an organism’s teeth can tell what diet it has.
For example, carnivores usually possess sharp teeth suitable for tearing apart meat, while herbivores have blunt ends specialized in grinding food. This teeth morphology is paired with a stomach also fit for their prey digestion.
The ferocious carnivore, T.Rex, belongs to a group of dinosaurs called Theropods. They are usually non-plant eating dinosaurs, though not all preferred bigger prey. They do not rely solely on a plant diet.
In fact, despite a group being animal-eaters, some theropod dinosaurs like the Gallimimus and Ornithomimus didn’t have teeth which led scientists to conclude that they were herbivores. However, they had a special “beak-like” mouth that feasted on insects, eggs, and plants, making them omnivores.
Trex had 50 to 60 solid cone-shaped teeth described to be as big as bananas with serrated dentition. The serrated shape allows them to chew down the flesh and bones of a very large prey thoroughly. Generally, Carnivores have long, sharp teeth to help them tear and catch their prey easily, while Herbivores have only broad and flat molars or back teeth with a rough surface that helps them grind the tough parts of the plant tissues. (Source)
Characteristics of T.Rex as A Top Predator
Tyrannosaurus Rex, also known as “the king of the dinosaurs” or “the king of tyrant lizards,” was a giant predator that once ruled the earth. This dinosaur was the world’s largest and most fearsome apex predator.
The T-Rex was a carnivorous dinosaur that was also a scavenger, feeding on the carcasses of other species. The huge skulls, which reach a massive 1.52 meter or five feet in length, are one of its most distinguishing features. It also has a venomous bite that is the largest ever reported in a mammal.
The T-Rex has a gigantic body that weighs between 5.5 and 8 tons, or 4900 and 7200 kg. It’s about the size of a school bus, measuring 40 feet long and 12 feet tall. The significance of having serrated and large teeth is that it could exert about 12,000 pounds of force or about 50,000 newtons which are roughly equivalent to the force of a medium-sized elephant just sitting down.
T.Rex teeth or any dinosaur teeth are important because we can determine the size of its skull from it. The greatest advantage of a Trex is its teeth because its structure allowed them to develop what they call a hyper-carnivorous feeding style which can crush bones thoroughly and help them feed on large animals.
The TRex is characterized as having a large head and forward-facing eyes; they have huge muscular jaws, a powerful tail, strong serrated teeth, which makes them an apex predator during its existence. It is a bipedal carnivore with a massive skull balanced by its long tail. It has powerful hind limbs, and it also has two clawed digits. Together, these traits make it an effective apex predator. (Source)
Ultimate Guide to Tyrannosaurus Rex
Main Article – With Links to 17 Series Articles
❖ Read Now! The Ultimate Guide to Tyrannosaurus Rex
The main article in the series, it is packed with information all about the King of the Dinosaurs. it provides information about the first discovery, some of the latest fossil findings, and covers the anatomy of the dinosaur. Following this, it provides a look at the classification and phylogeny. The places, where T. Rex fossils have been found are described and a few of the key fossil skeletons are described. The master article also covers:
—Interesting facts you may not know about T. Rex
—Unanswered questions about the T. Rex
—Links to the Series Articles (17 in total!) which give deeper info on the dinosaur.
Carnivorous Dinosaur Teeth Comparisons
Since there are many carnivorous dinosaurs with different teeth details, it will be good to compare some of these and emphasize the unique features of each species. Here are some of the known dinosaur species that are included in the list.
Giganotosaurus Teeth
Giganotosaurus was the largest known terrestrial carnivore with about 12 to 13 meters or 38 to 43 ft. Generally, these animals weigh about 4 to 13 tons and have skulls between 1.53 and 1.82 meters in length. Some researchers have found that these animals were larger than T-Rex.
Giganotosaurus has 76 teeth that are more numerous than the T-Rex. Their skull is rough and wrinkled, the lower jaw is flattened, and their nasal bones and ridge-like lacrimal bone are in the front eyes. Each tooth measures eight inches with a knife-like appearance. Their prey usually dies of bleeding due to their strong bite. (Source)
Spinosaurus Teeth
Spinosaurus has a long narrow snout and is filled with conical teeth. These teeth are non-serrated like the T-Rex and similar to modern crocodiles. According to research, Spinosaurus teeth are quite a common find and were unique because when they fell out, they were readily replaced through the dinosaur’s lifetime.
They are prehistoric behemoths that weighed 20 tons and are about 41-59 ft. They have an enlarged hook-like claw on each of their limbs. They were known to have the longest skulls discovered, about 175 cm long, and were found in the valley of Egypt (Bhariya Valley).
They have short legs but have long arms. They were suggested to be quadrupedal rather than bipedal dinosaurs. It would possibly be the largest and longest made known theropod dinosaur in history. They’re fast.
Utahraptor’s Teeth
The Utahraptor was heavily built. It is bipedal that is ground-dwelling, the largest known member of the Dromaeosauridae family. It possesses a nine-inch long claw which helps them catch prey easily, and their jaws bore sharp serrated teeth, and their arms are large, strong, and have recurved claws. They were the oldest largest known dromaeosaurids.
Utahraptor means “Uta’s Predator.” They were great hunters who used their sickle-shaped claws for ripping off and attacking their prey. In terms of teeth, they are the known dinosaurs with sharp serrated teeth around two inches long. (Source)
Like other dinosaurs, they have massive jaws and sharp teeth to efficiently hunt and feed. Like other raptors, it could have around 14-15 feet in the upper and another set in the lower jaw, which is lesser than the T-Rex.
Conclusion
These dinosaurs were discovered millions of years ago, and their fossil remains would give us a glimpse of the past. Teeth are just one of the many things scientists examine, and each dinosaur is unique. T-Rex teeth are just proof that, indeed, a shape and structure are equivalent to function. Through these varied shapes and sizes and through time, they have surpassed a variety of ecosystems. However, they will only remain as interesting finds waiting to be discovered.