Tyrannosaurus rex – Active Hunter or Predator?

Everything Dinosaur team members ask the question – Tyrannosaurus rex hunter or scavenger?

One of the longest running arguments surrounding Late Cretaceous, large tyrannosaurs is whether they were scavengers or active predators.  This debate forms the basis of a museum exhibition where team members at Everything Dinosaur have been giving presentations.  Our trained staff have been running seminars where visitors can handle fossils and see some of our T. rex fossils and casts plus get the chance to quiz the experts on the latest Tyrannosaurus and other discoveries.  The fossil evidence can be interpreted in a number of ways to support either the predator or the scavenger hypothesis.

Tyrannosaurus rex Hunter or Scavenger?

After reviewing all the evidence we ran our own survey during the course of the day to see what the visitors to the museum thought about T. rex.  We asked visitors to decide whether they thought T. rex was mainly a hunter, or whether it was a scavenger or indeed whether it was a hunter and an opportunist scavenging carcases as and when it found them.

The Results of our Seminar Survey – T. rex Hunter or Scavenger?

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Over 70% of the respondents to our survey stated that they thought that T. rex was a hunter but also an opportunist which would feed on the remains of dead animals that it found.  We intend to run similar surveys over the Summer at the various events that we are involved in and perhaps at the end of the holiday period we will compile all the data and provide an overview.

Over 70% of the respondents to our survey stated that they thought that T. rex was a hunter but also an opportunist which would feed on the remains of dead animals that it found.  We intend to run similar surveys over the Summer at the various events that we are involved in and perhaps at the end of the holiday period we will compile all the data and provide an overview.

A Replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex

Nanmu Studio T. rex dinosaur model (Alpha) in the brown colouration in lateral view.  A replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of Nanmu Studio Jurassic Series prehistoric animal figures in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Nanmu Studio Jurassic Series Prehistoric Animal Models.