![]() rex was 3.5 times as powerful as the human equivalent. The biceps brachii muscle of a full-grown Tyrannosaurus rex was capable of lifting 199 kilograms (439 pounds) by itself other muscles such as the brachialis would work along with the biceps to make elbow flexion even more powerful. ![]() Tyrannosaurus rex forelimb bones exhibit extremely thick cortical bone, which have been interpreted as evidence that they were developed to withstand heavy loads. This hypothesis may be supported by biomechanical analysis. It has also been suggested that the forelimbs were used to assist the animal in rising from a prone position.Īnother possibility is that the forelimbs held struggling prey while it was killed by the tyrannosaur's enormous jaws. This was recognized as early as 1906 by Osborn, who speculated that the forelimbs may have been used to grasp a mate during copulation. However, the bones show large areas for muscle attachment, indicating considerable strength. Tyrannosaurus rex arms are very small relative to overall body size, measuring only 1 meter (3.3 feet) long, and some scholars have labelled them as vestigial. The remains of Sue also include complete forelimbs. This strongly suggested that Tyrannosaurus rex had similar forelimbs, but this hypothesis was not confirmed until the first complete Tyrannosaurus rex forelimbs were identified in 1989, belonging to MOR 555 (the "Wankel rex"). ![]() However, a year earlier, Lawrence Lambe described the short, two-fingered forelimbs of the closely related Gorgosaurus. For the initial mounted skeleton as seen by the public in 1915, Osborn substituted longer, three-fingered forelimbs like those of Allosaurus. When Tyrannosaurus rex was first discovered, the humerus was the only element of the forelimb known. The last photo on the right is a side by side comparison of the Tinker arm and an adult Trex. This specimen is of the two fingered hand, ulna and radius. This is a replica of the right forearm from the juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex knows as Tinker.
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