Paleontologists have found a new species of dinosaur that once ruled over the Tyrannosaurus Rex as the apex predator.
Paleontologists identified a new species of dinosaur that is believed to have been larger than the T-Rex and would've eaten them.
Tyrannosaurus Rex is widely believed to be the most famous and dangerous dinosaur, and this idea was largely popularized with iconic movie franchises such as Jurassic Park. While the T-Rex certainly was an apex predator during the peak of species' life, it wasn't always at the very top of the food chain. Paleontologists have found a new species of carnivore that was much larger than T-Rex and would have eaten it for lunch.
Introducing, Ulughbegasaurus, a large theropod dinosaur that walked the plains of North America and Asia around 90 million years ago. Fossil evidence indicates that Ulughbegasaurus was around 26 feet in length and just over a tonne in weight. During the time of its rein, a T-Rex would have only been 440 pounds, and according to paleontologist professor Darla Zelenitsky, the sheer existence of the Ulughbegasaurus would have suppressed the growth of the T-Rex.
University of Calgary associate paleontology professor Darla Zelenitsky said, "They probably kept the tyrannosaurus down, they were obviously better apex predators."
"The disappearance of (Ulughbegasaurus) likely allowed tyrannosaur species to become the apex predators of Asia and North America some 80 to 90 million years ago, who persisted in large forms like Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, and T-Rex," said Zelenitsky.
T-Rex was able to grow to its full size once the Ulughbegasaurus species had died off, with T-Rex evolving mainly throughout the Jurassic Period and then taking the position of apex predator during the Cretaceous Period.