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Tyrannosaur fossil reveals dark secret about apex predator: ‘Like solving ancient murder mystery’

The Independent·Vishwam Sankaran·27 days ago
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Some tyrannosaurus species were opportunistic scavengers, even feasting on the remains of their much larger T rex relatives, according to a surprising fossil discovery. The name “Tyrannosaurus”, meaning tyrant lizard , was coined in 1905 by the American palaeontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn for the dinosaur ’s large size and role as an apex predator. There were three to five species of tyrannosaurs , including the iconic T rex , depicted in films such as Jurassic Park as powerful, relentless predators. The new discovery reveals that tyrannosaurs also took advantage of opportunities to scavenge, and sometimes the carcasses of their larger relatives . Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark identified precise bite marks on a massive foot bone, showing a smaller tyrannosaur had fed on the corpse of a larger relative about 75 million years ago. They identified 16 distinct bite marks on the fossil bone, indicating the scavenger fed on the corpse down to the last scraps.…

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