Whether T. rex was a predator, scavenger or both, there’s little doubt that bones comprised a large part of its diet.
Crushing bones requires a powerful bite, and sure enough, T. rex does not disappoint. Research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, suggests that the jaws of these most terrible of reptiles could deliver a force of more than 3.5 tonnes, which is equivalent to the weight of three small cars – more than twice the bite force of the largest living crocodiles.
The research also showed that the teeth are designed to induce fractures in the bones, causing them to fragment explosively, unlike scavenging mammals such as hyenas, which gnaw at bones persistently to access the nutritious marrow within.
