Tyrannosaurus rex weighed 15 tons! New research data on the "king of dinosaurs" revealed
Researchers used computer modeling to determine the maximum size of dinosaurs. They took the famous Tyrannosaurus rex as an example.
Since the incredible size of many dinosaurs makes them a source of endless fascination, scientists have raised the question of how these animals evolved to become so large. The team used computer models to estimate the tyrannosaurus and took into account things like population size, growth rate, life expectancy, and more, MailOnline writes.
Paleontologists have found that the largest known Tyrannosaurus rex fossils are likely to be in the 99th percentile, which is 1 percent of body size, but it will take another 1000 years of fossil excavation to find them.
The dinosaur could have weighed up to 15 tons, compared to current weight estimates of 8.8 tons. In addition, they could have been 25 percent longer, reaching 15 meters rather than 12 as currently known.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
Computer models show that the largest individual that may have existed could have been 70 percent more massive than the current largest known specimens.
If this is true, the dinosaur could have weighed up to 15 tons, compared to current weight estimates of 8.8 tons. In addition, they could have been 25 percent longer, reaching 15 meters rather than the 12 meters currently known, according to the study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
Tyrannosaurus rex at the Natural History Museum in Leiden.
"Our study shows that for large fossil animals like Tyrannosaurus rex, we really have no idea of the absolute size they could have reached based on the fossil record. It's exciting to think about a 15-ton dinosaur, but the implications are also interesting from a biomechanical or ecological perspective," says Dr. Jordan Mallon, one of the study's authors.
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