Tyrannosaurs Didn’t Really Look Like Previously Believed, New Study Shows

A new study published on March 30 in the journal Sciences has shaken up the collective imagination of tyrannosaurs. By comparing the tooth enamel of several species, the researchers concluded that predators had thin lips to protect them.

What if T-Rexes weren’t as scary as depictions of them today? This is what this new study, published in the journal Sciences last March 30.

It’s a funny discovery that these paleontologists have just made. By comparing the teeth of tyrannosaurs to those of other dinosaurs, the researchers noticed that the teeth of the T-Rex were not as worn and damaged as other species. With other tests, they concluded that these famous dinosaurs had lips to protect their sharp teeth: “We are talking about thin lips, similar to those of lizards or Komodo dragons” explained one of the co-authors of the study. Derek Larson, researcher and manager of the paleontology collection at the Royal BC Museum.

However, the question has not yet been settled by the entire scientific community. This work has been carried out since 2014 on several theropod dinosaurs from different museums. By comparing the wear of the enamel of the Tyrannosaurus to that of crocodiles, the species to which they are closest, the researchers noticed that the teeth of the T-Rex did not show the same characteristic damage: “When we examined the thickness of enamel on the inside and outside of the teeth of large tyrannosaurs, they did not exhibit this type of configuration like a crocodile,” said Thomas Cullen, study author and professor of paleobiology at the University of ‘Auburn in Alabama, in the southern United States.

He added that “their enamel thickness is the same on the outer and inner sides.” So T-Rex would be closer to animals with lips, like lizards. Moreover, if the dental enamel is exposed to the air for too long, it becomes more fragile, more crumbly. He “must stay hydrated to stay healthy,” explained researcher Thomas Cullen. Which confirms a little more this new theory on tyrannosaurs.

It’s a debate that’s been raging for years: did carnivorous dinosaurs like T. rex have exposed teeth like crocs, or lips covering their teeth like monitor lizards? A new study supports the latter hypothesis.https://t.co/at31mW046d pic.twitter.com/lDe07hsCoR

— Vincent Reneleau ? (@VincentReneleau) March 31, 2023

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