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Wyrex (Tyrannosaurus rex)

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Houston Museum of Natural Science
Houston, TX, United States

Tyrannosaurus rex did two things especially well: bite and run. To understand the running part, we need fine feet, and the “Wyrex” here has some of the best-preserved feet ever found. Both hind paws are nearly perfect. Though T. rex grew to be as heavy as an elephant – three main digits, the middle one longest, with a little inner tow facing inward. This toe design is excellent for running on all sorts of ground – soft and hard. And its top notch for grabbing prey, and for kicking. Our Wyrex skeleton has the best hands of any T. rex ever discovered. Check out Wyrex’s tail. Something bit off the rear half. Dinosaur tails housed thick muscles that attached to the thigh, making the tail part of the running apparatus. If Wyrex survived its tail-ectomy, it would have to learn how to walk and run again. The bitten tail bone shows little or no sign of healing, so the bite must have happened after death, or not long before.

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  • Title: Wyrex (Tyrannosaurus rex)
Houston Museum of Natural Science

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