Tyrannosaurus rex ‘picked on baby dinosaurs and ate them whole’

Research into the predatory habits and diet of the biggest of the dinosaurs has concluded that T.rex and other members of its carnivorous theropod family preferred to dine on juveniles, preferably small enough to eat whole.

It shatters the notion that the giant battled with animals of a similar or even larger size, an image reinforced by its portrayal in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Jurassic Park.

Really? Jurassic Park, a work of fiction wherein the T. rex never battled anything of similar, much less larger, size? And why would anyone expect T. rex to behave any differently than modern carnivores, who prey on the young and weak? Certainly not the researchers:

Dr Hone, who works at the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing, said: “Modern predators mainly attack vulnerable, young animals as they are inexperienced in evading predators, and this was probably the same in dinosaurs. Young prey are easier to bring down and the risk of injury to the predator is much lower.