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How Strong is a Tyrannosaurus Rex Bite? Plus Some Comparisons

The Tyrannosaurus Rex or T.Rex was known to be one of the most dangerous reptiles of his time. Although there are still other dinosaurs bigger than a Tyrannosaurus Rex, this gigantic carnivore was the bully of the Late Cretaceous Period. The word Rex means King in the Latin word, and for sure, he was not given that name for nothing. For that being said, if you ever wonder how strong a Tyrannosaurus Rex bite is and think of it like when you are bitten by a dog, shark, or a crocodile, then you are at the right place. You will find that out here, and be sure to read until the last section because I still have a lot to share.  

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How Strong is a Tyrannosaurus Rex Bite?

Scientists estimate the Tyrannosaurus rex’s bite force to be an amazing 8000 pounds of bone-crushing force. It is more than four times stronger than a jaguar’s bite (at 1500 pound-force) and more than two times stronger than a saltwater crocodile (at 3700 pound-force).

Tyrannosaurus Rex, a dominant predator, exhibits a tremendous bite force, conforming the creature’s intimidating nature during its reign in the dinosaur era. Palaeontological studies leverage fossil records to reveal insightful bite marks, thereby asserting the T-Rex’s superior bite strength.

The creature’s unique skull structure, an essential aspect studied in anthropological explorations, works in tandem with its robust teeth to facilitate a substantial bite power. This power contributes to the carnivorously diverse diet of the T-Rex, thriving on large prey that necessitated an exceptional bite force.

The Predator’s jaw strength, examined using scalar measurements like PSI, surpasses other species, reinforcing the T-Rex’s apex status.

Furthermore, evolutionary adaptations driven by a predatory lifestyle are instrumental in shaping the formidable bite force, leaving an indelible mark in the annals of natural history. Collectively, this analysis underscores the noteworthy bite of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, demonstrating the depth and significance of research in areas like paleontology and evolutionary biology.

Knowing how strong a T-Rex bite is is not enough for you to figure it out. I know you will need some comparisons with the other animals to imagine what it can destroy with its ferocious teeth. And that is exactly why I am writing this article. By reading this, you will know how strong this King’s bite force is to chomp down his prey easily. 

A T.Rex’s Bite Force VS. Other Animals’: Comparison Time!

The Tyrant Lizard King, who once ruled our planet millions of years ago, was feared and considered one of the ferocious predators to ever walk on Earth. Although it was not as gigantic as the other dinosaurs, it sure did kill hundreds or even thousands of dinosaurs in its time with its teeth that are also called killer bananas.

 According to a study in May of 2017 from a journal scientific report, Gregory Erickson of Florida State University states that the bite force of a T.rex is a whopping 8,000 pounds force. And some parts of its deadly teeth give 431,000 pounds per square inch of pressure, which can easily chew down its prey. 

After two years, the latest study about the bite force of the King of Dinosaurs was conducted. However, scientists do not want to stop their studies right there. In September of 2019, from the deadly number of 8000 pound-force, they stated that T.Rex’s bite force is 64000 Newtons or 14387.772 when converted into pound-force. And from there, we can say that the way movies portray T.Rex was true, and it can smash cars effortlessly. (Source)

At this time, the record of having the strongest bite force of any living animal belongs to the Saltwater Crocodile. T.Rex’s distant cousin. According to Business Insider, its bite force is 16,460 newtons or 3700.3552, which is only about 25% as strong as a T. Rex’s bite. One thing that helped the T.Rex deliver 7 tons of pressure is its rigid skull that is loosely jointed. (Source)

Although T.Rex bone-eating was described as an “extreme osteophagy” because of its dangerous bite force, it still doesn’t have the top title for the animal ever lived that has the strongest bite force. Sure it can be on top, says Gignac, but the strongest bite force title belongs to the largest crocodile or aquatic animal that has gone extinct, called Sarcosuchus. It has an 18,000-pound-force that makes its bite force stronger than T.Rex’s.

If we compare the bite force of T.Rex to alligators, it will be 10x more forceful than the latter, which can only exert 2,980 pounds-force. And if you want to know how painful it is for humans that only have 200 pound-force, then see how far the difference of 200 pound-force is to 14387.772 pound-force. 

Measuring Tyrannosaurus Rex’s Bite Force: Learn How Did The Scientists Do It

Many people would like to know the answers to all their questions, including making a replica of a T.Rex skull to find out how strong its bite force was. An experiment done in National Geographic’s Engineering Lab by scientists and engineers could be just the key to knowing how strong a T.Rex bites.

In this experiment, they made a skull with an aluminum cast and pressure-driven mandible, for they believed that T.Rex ingested the bones of its prey. They used an ostrich bone that will act as its food and cameras with laser-triggered strobe lights and a polaroid camera that captured how dangerous a T.Rex bite could be. (Source)

The mouth of the T.Rex skull replica was full of sensors. They made it that way so the moment it senses the laser light, it will shut its mouth straight away, and from there, it will capture the damage it causes from chomping the ostrich’s bone. 

Ultimate Guide to Tyrannosaurus Rex
Main Article – With Links to 17 Series Articles

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❖ 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.

Anatomy Of A T Rex Bite Force

According to studies, there are 30 different species of T.Rex, and I have written an article about them. A T.Rex can grow up to 40 feet or the size of a school bus and can weigh up to eight tons. They are known for crushing their prey to death using 60 serrated or jagged teeth that grow 8-12 inches long. 

The skull of the T.Rex is 1.52 meters (5 ft) in length and what’s interesting about it is that they have a vent on their head that is similar to alligators, and it helps them cool down. They have a very strong sense of smell that helps them to hunt their prey even from afar. And if you think it’s all that, well, to prove that a T.Rex has the strongest bite force of all the animals that ever lived, it can chew down bones that are bigger than its head. 

Scientists believed that they found coprolites or feces of T.Rex, and that is a good thing because, by those coprolites, they will know how the T.Rex’s digestive system works. In addition, compared to other carnivorous dinosaurs such as Giganotosaurus that weigh 4 tons (around 8000 kg) and grow from 40 to 43 feet in length, T.Rex is smaller, but that doesn’t mean that Giganotosaurus can outshine the King. 

Although these two are both ferocious, have short limbs, huge skulls which help with their balance, and muscular thighs, scientists still believe that when it comes to their tails, a T.Rex’s tail is heavier than Giganotosaurus. And it is not just that, even though T.Rex will pass as Giganotosaurus’ little brother; Giganotosaurus is still nothing compared to T.Rex’s powerful jaw force and more developed dental structure.

Furthermore, a T.Rex was one of the most intelligent dinosaurs ever to exist. Its skull measures 5 feet (1.5 m) but has a larger and wider brain, unlike the Giganotosaurus, with a huge skull but a small banana-like brain. And because of that, it is more intelligent than Giganotosaurus.

Another dinosaur that was said to be one of T.Rex’s close competitors is the Allosaurus. An Allosaurus is a two-legged carnivorous dinosaur that is smaller than the T.Rex. However, it has a binocular-like vision and a sharp sense of hearing that T.Rex does have. 

Though Allosaurus was also a carnivorous dinosaur, it is more gentle than the T.Rex that goes aggressive to all the other dinosaurs even in his same genus. That is why they are considered cannibals. The bite force of the T.Rex is surely more dangerous than the Allosaurus. An Allosaurus only has 4000 Newtons, making the King of Dinosaurs’ bite force 10x stronger than the Allosaurus’. 

Advantage Of A Strong Bite Force

When we watch documentaries of animals such as lions hunting in the wild, we surely can picture the good thing about having a strong bite force. Talking about its advantage to the savagely fierce predator, having a dangerous bite force serves as their defense mechanism against enemies and prey. Since their razor-like serrated 11 inches, long teeth can crush even the hardest bones that are bigger than their skull. It can also munch prey that has shells easily and kill them on the spot. Tooth pressure is the key. 

Lastly, the T.Rex’s teeth give a shocking 431,000 pounds per square inch of pressure to pulverize bones and for them to be able to get all the nutrients possible. 

Conclusion

Scientists did a great job in giving us answers about how strong a T.Rex’s bite is and there is no denying that T.Rex belongs to the group of dangerous animals that have ever lived. Its deadly bite force, sharp teeth, and aggressiveness is what make it the King of Dinosaurs. And if it is alive until today, it sure will give terror to us all. With this article, I hope you’ll finally picture how painful it is for terrestrial animals to live with the T.Rex.

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