Tyrannosaurus Rex was a Cannibal
Tyrannosaurus Rex was the most powerful and fiercest dinosaur that roamed the earth during the Mesozoic period. Scientists have now found out that the dinosaur was a cannibal that ate other dinosaurs. They have found marks on the bones of a T.Rex that could only have come from another tyrannosaur. They result when a dinosaur strips meat off a victim.
Researchers say that the marks on the bones happened while the tyrannosaur was feeding. They are unsure however if the beast was already dead when it was eaten or if T.Rex killed an enemy and then ate it.
For modern carnivores, like lions, bears or alligators, such a behaviour is not unusual. They take out their enemies and have food at the same time. Cannibalism is widespread throughout the animal world. Female spiders , for example , eat their mates, chimpanzees feed on small babies and sharks that eat their younger ones.
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Words:
- beast = a large dangerous animal
- behavior = the things a person or an animal does or the way they act
- carnivore = an animal that eats meat
- feed = eat
- fierce = angry, ready to attack
- mark = cut or hole
- mate = sexual partner of an animal
- Mesozoic= the middle ages of the earth's history , from about 200 million to 65 million years ago; it is also called the Age of Reptiles or the Age of Dinosaurs
- researcher = scientist; someone who tries to find out new things about a topic
- roam = wander around
- strip = tear off
- take out = kill
- victim = here: a dead dinosaur
- widespread = something that happens very often