T-rex was 'slow and clumsy'
Tuesday, 05 Jun 2007 14:06
Fossil of Tyrannosaurus Rex
Far from being a fast moving beast, Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-rex) moved relatively slowly and had difficulty turning, new research has found.
Some studies have proposed that the dinosaur could have combined its terrifying jaws and height with speeds of up to 45mph to catch its prey.
But a new study argues that it would not have been as successful as thought at catching fast-moving prey.
Using new computer models US scientists calculated how heavy the dinosaur would have been and how the creature would have moved.
They argue that a T-rex could have moved at speeds of up to 25mph.
The creature would also have had difficulty turning quickly; spinning round too fast could result in it toppling over. As such it could have taken as much as two seconds to move its cumbersome load around.
"We now know that a T-rex would have been front-heavy, turned slowly and could manage no more than a leisurely jog," John Hutchinson, of the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, who led the research, told the Times newspaper.
"Previous studies have tried to find one or two numbers to estimate the mass, whereas we did over 30 computer models."
The study is published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology.