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Tyrannosaurus (meaning "tyrant lizard") is an extinct genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous period around 73-66 million years ago. The genus includes two valid species; Tyrannosaurus rex and Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis. However, two additional species, Tyrannosaurus imperator and Tyrannosaurus regina, have been proposed, though paleontologists near-universally agree upon their invalidity. Often credited as the king of the dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the contenders for the largest theropod, with the largest specimens measuring 43 feet (13.1 meters), standing 13 feet (4 meters) tall, and weighing up to 24,000 pounds (11,000 kilograms). However, recent studies have speculated that Tyrannosaurus could have grown larger than previously thought, possibly reaching lengths of up to 50 feet (15 meters) long, growing to stand 16 feet (5 m) tall, and weighing 33,000 pounds (15,000 kg). Since its description in 1905, Tyrannosaurus has become one of, if not the number one, most famous and well-studied dinosaur in the world.
Young Tyrannosaurus were possibly covered in feathers and more agile than their parents. The presence of feathers on adults has been heavily debated. In 2012 the Chinesetyrannosauroid Yutyrannus huali was discovered which lead many scientists to believe Tyrannosaurus itself may have been covered in feathers. However, later inspection of skin impressions showed that Tyrannosaurus was mostly, if not completely, scaly. Even if it did have feathers, the coat would have been extremely thin as such a large animal would overheat with too thick of a coat or the feathers slowly fell off the body over time.
Tyrannosaurus coexisted with many well-known Late Cretaceous animals such as Edmontosaurus, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Torosaurus, Ornithomimus, Quetzalcoatlus, Pachycephalosaurus, Alamosaurus, and the enigmatic Nanotyrannus (which could either be a juvenile Tyrannosaurus or a separate genus). It was the apex predator in its environment, acting as both an active hunter and a scavenger. It had a good sense of smell, hypersensitive hearing, and - despite the common misconception - excellent eyesight (comparable to a bird of prey) with thermal vision to help it track down and target prey, even at night. Tyrannosaurus could reach speeds up to 15-25 mph. However, it was incapable of maintaining such speeds for long distances. Therefore, it employed ambush tactics to attack and take down its prey coupled with its ability to hunt in family packs. The tail of Tyrannosaurus was around 20 feet long and it is attached by the muscle to the thigh bones which acts as a counterbalance and a steering device to help them make quick turns.
Studies on the brain of Tyrannosaurus also suggest it was quite intelligent, being on par with that of baboons. The function of its small, yet powerful, arms are unknown, but it is theorized they helped Tyrannosaurus grasp struggling prey, aid female Tyrannosaurus during mating, or to push off the ground when standing up. The inner ear structures of Tyrannosaurus, which is similar to that of birds, are sensitive and capable of picking up low-frequency sounds. Tyrannosaurus may have been cannibals. Tyrannosaurus also possessed a robust, powerful jaw (the strongest seen in a terrestrial creature) filled with large, robust teeth, which gave it a bone-crushing bite capable of breaking bone. The injuries of Tyrannosaurus look bad, but were healed very quickly similar to crocodilians. It is revealed that the population of Tyrannosaurus was 2.5 billion. A 2023 study revealed that Tyrannosaurus had lips like Komodo dragons.[1] The vertebrae of Tyrannosaurus had a hollow structure that would've helped them float in the water. On April 29, 2024, it was theorized that the intelligence of Tyrannosaurus was closer to crocodiles rather than primates.[2]
Characteristics
Unlike the originals, the T. rex clones have been known to see only movement due to the mixture of frog DNA.[3] Like all of InGen's theropods, the T. rex clones have pronated wrists, although this was modified slightly for Jurassic World: Dominion. These clones run between 32 miles per hour instead of 25. The clones have their upper teeth exposed out when their mouth's closed which the originals have lips.
In general, it seems that male Tyrannosaurs are green with black stripes, and females are brown in colour. There are only two exceptions to this, however; Big Eatie from Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous and Chaos Theory, and the individual in Jurassic World: Rebirth. The former is grey with black stripes and the latter is a greenish-brown with yellow stripes (or brownish-grey and stripes in promotional materials).
The individual seen in Jurassic World: Rebirth is known to have taken some inspiration from The Valley of Gwangi.
Movies
- Main article: Tyrannosaurus rex/Film
Past
During the Late Cretaceous period, a feathered Tyrannosaurus fought a Giganotosaurus, but was swiftly killed in the battle. Immediately after its death, a mosquito fed off the body's blood, which would later be used in InGen's cloning of the species.
Creation
Seven Tyrannosaurus rex were cloned by InGen scientists in their compound on Isla Sorna, circa 1990. One Tyrannosaurus, according to JurassicWorld.com, had lived on Isla Nublar for over 25 years, born in 1988. This means that it would have been 5 years of age at the time of the Jurassic Park Incident.
Jurassic Park
The skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex was displayed in the center of the Visitor Center along with the one of an Alamosaurus. A female T. rex (named Rexy by fans) was also displayed in the Tyrannosaur Paddock, but failed to show up to the guests, even when a goat was brought out to feed her. When Dennis Nedry disabled the park's security, the T. rex (after finally eating the goat) escaped and attacked the people. She ate Donald Gennaro and pushed Alan and the kids off a edge with the car, though they survived. As Robert Muldoon and Ellie were in the Tyrannosaur Paddock investigating the whereabouts of the survivors and had found Ian, the same T. rex attacked the search party. Muldoon and Ellie had heard the T. rex roar several times before during the search and just before her ambush, Ian heard her footsteps. The T. rex attacked suddenly, without warning, crashing through a line of trees where she began chasing them through a tree lined corridor. After a very close chase, she was unsuccessful in catching them and so finally gave up, letting the trio escape to the Visitor Center. The next day, Rexy chases a herd of Gallimimus and kills one before eating part of it. Later, she breaks into the Visitor Center and kills a raptor and The Big One, smashing the Tyrannosaurus skeleton in the process. She roars as the "When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth" banner falls to the ground.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
A family of T. rexes are featured in this movie: The Buck, The Doe and Junior. The parents put Ian, Sarah and Nick's car over the edge and ate Eddie Carr. Later, they attack the camp and everyone tries to escape when Carter is stomped and crushed by the Doe and Burke is eaten. Later, Roland Tembo chases the male down and it is transported to San Diego where it kills everyone on the SS venture and is released in the city but is then captured again by Ian and Sarah and transported back to Isla Sorna with Junior.
Jurassic Park III
A male Tyrannosaurus rex (called The Bull) emerged while feeding on a Parasaurolophus carcass and encounters the humans. It chases them and fights a Spinosaurus, and loses the battle.
Jurassic World
Rexy was seen eating a goat. After the Indominus rex escapes, goes on a rampage and kills 2 raptors, she is released and fights the I. rex. At first, Rexy bites the I. rex's neck multiple times but the Indominus rex overpowers her. Blue comes to Rexy's aid and they push the hybrid towards the Jurassic World Lagoon, where the Mosasaurus kills the Indominus. Rexy roars on the helipad.
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous
Season 2
Rexy appeared in this season, she kills a Parasaurolophus and attacks the campers but is distracted by a recording of Brookylnn and a hologram T. rex. Later, Rexy chases a herd of dinosaurs but they escape. Rexy also kills Mitch in revenge for electrocuting her.
Season 3
Rexy attacks the helicopter but it escapes. She chases the campers but Darius and Brooklynn throw rocks at her and she chases them. A voice distracts her. As seen below, she is chasing a mercenary named Jack. After Jack gets on a ladder his team on the helicopter threw down, the Tyrannosaur grabs the ladder with her jaw and proceeds to pull the helicopter down with her strength. However, she ends up biting off the bottom of the ladder, which allows Jack and the other mercenaries to escape, before the Mosasaurus jumps up and devours Jack.
Season 4
It is revealed that there are other Tyrannosaurs when the campers arrive on Mantah Corp Island. Dr. Mae Turner, a behavioral paleoneurobiologist studied the behaviors of a mother and daughter pair nicknamed Big Eatie and Little Eatie. Kash D. Langford, Dr. Turner's boss had the rexes food supply altered with drugs that made the dinosaurs attack each other. Little Eatie was severely injured, while Big Eatie was forced to fight a Kentrosaurus named Pierce, though both managed to survive when the fight was called off.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Rexy chases a mercenary named Jack. After Jack gets on a ladder his team on the helicopter threw down, the Tyrannosaur grabs the ladder with her jaw and proceeds to pull the Helicopter down with her strength. However, she ends up biting off the bottom of the ladder, which allows Jack and the other mercenaries to escape, before the Mosasaurus jumps up and devours Jack. During the eruption of Mount Sibo, Owen and his group encountered Rexy when she bites and fatally subdues an attacking Carnotaurus. She then fled and was rescued alongside other dinosaurs. Sometime later on, Owen and Claire found her sedated in a truck, where they needed to get some of her blood for transfusion for Blue, who had been shot awhile back by one of Wheatley's mercenaries. As they got some of her blood, Claire rode on the theropod’s back while trying to hand the blood bag to Owen. After being locked in by one of the mercenaries, Owen looked into the Tyrannosaur's eye as she awoke from her sedation. Finding herself in an enclosed space with people around her, the mighty theropod started to panic and break free of her restraints, with Owen being forced to jump through her snapping jaws to get out of the truck.Later, the T. rex was lured to her cell located beneath the Lockwood estate with a goat in order have her prepared to be sold off to wealthy buyers in an auction set up by Eli Mills and Gunnar Eversol. However, some poisonous gas was released into the holding cell during Blue's brawl with some mercenaries, threatening to kill the dinosaurs yet again. The T. rex was eventually freed along with the other dinosaurs through Claire opening all the cell doors and Maisie, who had just lost her grandfather and learned of her true origin, opening the gate that set them all free and allowing the T.rex to escape the manor. Before she left the premises, however, the T. rex caught and ate Mills after, scaring off a lone Carnotaurus that had tried to join the feast. Finishing off what little remained of Mills, the T. rex then brought one of her massive feet down on the I. rex's only surviving bone fragment and DNA sample as she stomped off into the woods, crushing it to smithereens and with it any chance of other hybrids like her returning. After she escaped, the T. rex broke into a nearby zoo and roared at an male lion, who stood his ground by angrily roaring back at her.
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory
Season 1
Big Eatie was captured and crated during a dinosaur smuggling operation. She was spotted by Darius and Kenji at the DPW Harbor. She later escapes after the lock on her shipping container is damaged.
Jurassic World: Dominion
By 2022, the Department of Prehistoric Wildlife had reports of the Nublar T. rex in Sacramento, California, footage of a failed hunt on a Apatosaurus in Lake of the Woods, Oregon and tracks of the Tyrannosaur in the Prairie Creek Redwoods, also in California. Later that year, the Department of Fish and Wildlife attempted to hunt down the dinosaur by helicopter, and accidentally chased her into the SkyLine Drive-In Movie Theater. After both parties damaged multiple cars and the theater itself, the Tyrannosaurus escaped into the woods.
After three years being chased by the DFW, Rexy was finally captured and taken to Biosyn's sanctuary in Italy.
The Tyrannosaurs later appears to fight the Giganotosaurus, teaming up with a Therizinosaurus. Together, the Tyrannosaurus and the Therizinosaurus manage to kill the Giganotosaurus. Later, Rexy encounters Buck and Doe in the abandoned Biosyn sanctuary.
Jurassic World: Rebirth
TBA
Novels
- Main article: Tyrannosaurus rex/Novels
Jurassic Park Institute
There are several entries in the glossary of the Jurassic Park Institute that refer to Tyrannosaurus. There is an entry for both Tyrannosaurus rex and Tyrannosaurus bataar, which is a now known as Tarbosaurus. There is also a third entry which was named Dinotyrannus, which is synonomous to Tyrannosaurus rex.
