SEATTLE, Wash. — No question, Tyrannosaurus rex had small arms. Still, this dino was no pushover.
It is best known for its giant head, powerful jaws and overall fearsome appearance.
And then there were those comical-looking arms. One scientist now argues that they weren’t funny when it came to combat. Those roughly meter- (39-inch-) long limbs weren’t just sad reminders of a longer-armed past, concludes Steven Stanley. He’s a paleontologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Those forelimbs were well-adapted for vicious slashing at close quarters, he says.Stanley shared his assessment October 23, here, at the Geological Society of America’s annual meeting.
T. rex ancestors had longer arms, which they used for grasping. But at some point, T. rex and other tyrannosaurs began to rely on their giant jaws for grasping. Over time, their forelimbs evolved…
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