1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, Welcome to Stuff from the Science Lab from how 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Hey guys, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: This is Alison Madermelick, the science editor at how stuff 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: works dot com, and this is Robert Lamb, science writer 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 1: at how stuff works dot com. Today we're talking about 6 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:28,479 Speaker 1: the tyrant lizard King a k a. The Tyrannosaurus Rex. Yeah. 7 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: This is a dinosaur that I grew up with, and 8 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people out there grew up with. Um. 9 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: I've had the little plastic figuring of him. I was 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: having him beat up on Try Sarah tops attacking Stegasaurus, 11 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: is eating g I Joe men, you know, knocking down 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 1: wooden block castles. The Tyrannosaurs Rex was just no kidding, 13 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: a hero, I think to a lot of children, and 14 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: uh and I and I think still is today. Absolutely. 15 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: I have kids, have nephews, have all sorts of little 16 00:00:57,920 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: ones running around, and I went to one of the 17 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: what one of the toy stores recently and there's ginormous 18 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: amounts of dinosaur toys aimed kids. Actually some that are 19 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: I was pretty fascinated about. Yeah, and of course, if 20 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 1: you look at the depictions of what this guy looked 21 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: like you can you can tell why we're so attached 22 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 1: to it. I mean, he's just he's just awesome looking. 23 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: We're talking about a big bipedal dinosaur with just massive jaws, 24 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 1: enormous teeth, little bity front arms, but massive legs, an 25 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: enormous tale. I mean, it's it's like a dragon, just 26 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: a sheer monster. Yeah. I mean when I picture a dinosaur, 27 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: you probably think of a t rex. I know I do. 28 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: So let's quantify the two rex a little bit. He's 29 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 1: about forty ft long, which, if you think about it, 30 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: is the height of a four story building, assuming ten 31 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: ft per story um the sky, as Robert mentioned, had huge, 32 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: huge shoppers. I think his teeth were what seven seven 33 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: inches per tooth, and his jaw was about four ft long. 34 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: I mean that's the size of a small person. Yeah, 35 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: especially when you factor in that he probably had you know, 36 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: some more between four thousand and six thousand pounds of 37 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: pressure per square inch with that thing. I also read 38 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: the t rex could wolf down five hundred pounds in 39 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: one bite. Can you imagine? The t rex was probably 40 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: one of the last dinosaurs ever to walk the Earth, 41 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: right before the KT boundary extinction event, wiped everything out, 42 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: um and we found fossils in the United States, Canada, 43 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: East Asia, and the US. Actually, Montana has been a 44 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: virtual treasure trove of t rex is. So with all 45 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: these crazy attributes, you know, the huge shaws, the crazy chompers, 46 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: the big stature, you'd think that the t Rex was 47 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: the fiercest of the fierce. Yeah, naturally, And actually that's 48 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: how it was depicted by artists. Charles R. Night in 49 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: the early nineteen hundred's um Night was the first one 50 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: to to paint the t rex and he painted it 51 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: standing upright, the tail was dragging on the ground and 52 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: he's squaring off with the Triceratops. And the Triceratops is 53 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 1: that dinosaur with you know, the frill around its neck 54 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,239 Speaker 1: and the two horns, and I think it's kind of 55 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 1: a peace loving animal, except for when it was facing 56 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: off against the t Rex. Yeah, but I've often heard 57 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:06,799 Speaker 1: it put like the t Rex is like is the 58 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 1: little boy's favorite dinosaur and the try Saratops is the 59 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,519 Speaker 1: girl's favorite dinosaur. You just made that up, Now, that's true. 60 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: I know my my wife's favorite dinosaurs to try Saratops, 61 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: and mine is the t Rex. I think mine was 62 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: the Prontosaurus. Well that's another peaceful even the not exactly 63 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,600 Speaker 1: a real dinosaur, but still you can hold onto that fantasy. 64 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: I can, I can, and I will. Um. So Night 65 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: was was the first guy to really get down what 66 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: t rex look like on paper, and as such, there 67 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: are billions of toys spawn from this image and even Godzilla. Yeah, like, 68 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: basically Night's image looks like a guy in a dinosaur costume. 69 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: It's like the same stature. You know, you could say, 70 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: we're really throwing our anthropomorphic baggage at a bunch of 71 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: fossils and creating something that kind of looks like a 72 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: good dude in a suit. But film fans have also 73 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: um gotten to witness the emergence of new models for 74 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: how the t rex would have looked. And you guys 75 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: are gonna where we're going with this Jurassic Park classic scene, yep, 76 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: dinosaur chasing Sam Neil and company in the vehicle. This 77 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: is this is a very different take on the dinosaur. 78 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: This isn't it's it's more streamlined. The tail it's up 79 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: in the air, and it's it's it's running. It's really 80 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 1: upgraded nights vision of what the animal consisted of into 81 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: like an even more awesome predator. Right, So before night 82 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: kind of had the t Rex standing as this big, plotting, 83 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: hulking dinosaur. But then you know, with the with the 84 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: advent of Jurassic Park and even earlier than that, Yeah, 85 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: the t Rex gotta makeover. And he was sleeker, and 86 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, his body's parallel to the ground, 87 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: tails not dragging on the ground anymore. And and this 88 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 1: is this is the newer version of the t Rex 89 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: that that we now know, so even you know, even 90 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: more reason for kids to love him. But just as 91 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: kids get older and uh, suddenly they learned a little 92 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: more about their heroes and their their heroes, you know, 93 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: tarnish a little bit um. Also, a lot of studies 94 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: have come out to sort of tarnish the reputation a 95 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: little bit of the t Rex. The t rex is 96 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: has gone down. Yeah, no it's not so much, you know, 97 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: no drug scandals or anything transsi no, no, no, no, 98 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: you know, car Rex or anything. But but no, there's 99 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 1: been some new studies to to cast his role as 100 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: King of the Dinosaurs in doubt, namely that maybe he 101 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 1: wasn't so much a super predator as a pretty good scavenger. Scavenger, 102 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: it's just a totally different volume. Yeah, I mean, it's 103 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: that it goes from you know, king of the jungle 104 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: to like a vulture or you know, or something. And 105 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: there are a number of reasons for this. It's not 106 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: just people wanting to bad mouth uh that you know, 107 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: a hero to children. Some of the the attributes that 108 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: t Rex had huge nostrils, which is great if you 109 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 1: want to smell out some dead dinos out there in 110 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: the primordial jungle. All right, those teeth and jaws, yeah, 111 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: they're great for chomping into living things, but they're all 112 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: so great for busting through giant you know, Stegasaurus corpses, etcetera, 113 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 1: getting at that bone marrow that's so rich in nutrients. 114 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: And that's another thing they've in studying this stuff called 115 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: copper light, which is basically fossilized fossilized dino uh excrement. 116 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: Yeah uh. They found a lot of bone fragments making 117 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: it look like these guys consumed a lot of bones. Now, 118 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: this is a lot like a really interesting bird that 119 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 1: you find in the mountains of Ethiopia but also throughout 120 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: Europe Asian Africa called the lambur guyer. And this guy 121 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: looks like basically like a big vulture, really kind of 122 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 1: a beautiful animal. But he he shows up late to 123 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: all the the dead things. The other vultures get their 124 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: first pick over the flesh, the lambur guyer shows up. 125 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: He goes after the bones, takes the bones, drops them 126 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 1: from a really really high altitude. They crack open, and 127 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: then he just gulps down all these bone fragments. All right, there, 128 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: nothing really is wasted in nature, right, And there's a 129 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: lot of nutrients inside bones, um, you know, the bone marrow, 130 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: et cetera. And it's the stuff that not every scavenger 131 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: is going to be specialized enough to take advantage off. 132 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: So and then they also found, um, some t rex 133 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: teeth in the dino do basically ends up painting this 134 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: picture of the t rex is a like a giant 135 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: trash compactor going at these at the bones of dead animals, 136 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: just chomping it all down vicious so viciously. Yeah, that 137 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: it's just bone fragments and his own teeth getting snapped 138 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: off and you know, passing through his system. I just 139 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: had sort of a funny vision of you ripping into 140 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: some meal and losing a couple of teeth in the process. 141 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: But I'm imagining that's what it was like for the 142 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: t rex. Yeah, I've never been that hungry, but I've 143 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: never had to hunt down my dinner in in dinosaur times. 144 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: So one of my favorite supporting ideas that the t 145 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: rex was a scavenger um is on the basis of parents. 146 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, so, Uh. The idea is that the t 147 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: rex is not too attractive of a dinosaur, and well, 148 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: let's just call spade a spade. Uh, the t rex 149 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: is ugly, and h his ugliness he has in common 150 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: with hyenas and vultures and and the legs. So this 151 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: is uh. I really hate to imagine that one being 152 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: taught in school two kids and saying, since the t 153 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: rex was an ugly dinosaur, he had no choice but 154 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: to eat things that others wouldn't, you know, That's just 155 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: it's it's very silly. Saratops, however, is beautiful and she 156 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 1: used to eat whatever she wants. I also heard that 157 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: the those powerful legs could have been made for walking 158 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: long distances as opposed to running down pray. Right, Yeah, 159 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: if you're if you pray is not going anywhere. Um, 160 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: and it's just a matter of running off some other 161 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,320 Speaker 1: scavengers when you get there. You don't necessarily need to 162 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: run like a freight train. People have also made the 163 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: argument that well they have they have museless little arms, 164 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: all the more reason that they're just scavengers. But that 165 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: goes both ways. People point out, well, all snakes, you 166 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: have plenty of excellent snake predators, and obviously snakes don't 167 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 1: have arms, so that one's kind of a stupid one 168 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: in my opinion. However, the predator side still has some 169 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: has some supporters and there, and they really like to 170 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: put out this just awesome image in my mind, and 171 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,479 Speaker 1: I think all the children out there will agree of 172 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: of this guy running just at a at a really 173 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: fast speed, opening his jaws wide and just crashing into 174 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: his prey. Yeah, and that's where and then that ends 175 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: up shattering teeth as well, Like just opening his jaws 176 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 1: and just running smack into the side of a stegosaurs. 177 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: I kind of just picture the t rex going running 178 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: full speed and either way they definitely not on each 179 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,959 Speaker 1: other a lot um. But but then that's one of 180 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: those things you have. You have beetles in the wild 181 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: that have basically evolved large mandibles just for wrestling with 182 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: each other, so that that doesn't you know, necessarily mean 183 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: one thing or another. But you know, even if they 184 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: were scavengers, they were probably getting into some pretty serious 185 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: scrapes with each other. So the the whole argument of 186 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 1: whether the t rex was a scavenger predator also leads 187 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 1: us into whether the t rex was fast or slow. Right, 188 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: So if he's a scavenger, then he can be a 189 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: little bit you know, less zippy to his next meal, 190 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: whereas if he's a if he's a predator, then he's 191 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: probably likely to be more agile and fast, fast on 192 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: his feet, right. And it's important to mention too that 193 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,439 Speaker 1: this is something that's that's very hard to track down 194 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,840 Speaker 1: evidence for. There's almost no direct evidence. Um, we have 195 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: these things called track ways, which are basically fossilized dinosaur footprints, 196 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: and they tend not to be long enough though to 197 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: encompass the stride of a t rex. So a lot 198 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: of this we're having to look at other factors. It's 199 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: not just a matter of looking at the footprints. Yeah, So, 200 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:47,360 Speaker 1: exactly how fast was a t rex? Well, some say 201 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,559 Speaker 1: that he could run at forty five miles per hour, 202 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: and others have suggested a more moderate twenty five miles 203 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: per hour. Again, I mean, think about one of these 204 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: guys coming after full speed forty five miles per hour. 205 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: It's I mean, you couldn't take him out on the freeway, 206 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,320 Speaker 1: but in an animal speed, that's pretty that's pretty good, 207 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:08,439 Speaker 1: Which leads us to your next area of a scientific argument. 208 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 1: Was this guy warm blooded or cold blooded? Well, if 209 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 1: you're thinking that he's kind of a zippy being and 210 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: he's chasing down prey and or even walking long distances 211 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:21,079 Speaker 1: to get out carry on, then then chances are maybe 212 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: he wasn't cold blooded, but he was warm blooded. So 213 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: just just a little refresher course in case you guys 214 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: can't remember this body of the cold blended animals such 215 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: like such as a snake or a lizard is is 216 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: one that changes with the ambient temperature. So, um, a 217 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: lizard is going to be more active when it's warm, 218 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 1: and it's going to be kind of sluggish and I 219 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: don't feel like getting out of bed when it's cold, 220 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,839 Speaker 1: whereas warm blooded animals such as mammals and birds and 221 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 1: maybe dinosaurs are are active all the time regardless of temperature. 222 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: Where this ties into the whole speed issue too, is 223 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,959 Speaker 1: it's basically a matter of looking at these bodies, the 224 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 1: body of this dinosaur, and saying how much energy would 225 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: it need to run at this speed? And in some 226 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: instances the scientists argue that it would that the body 227 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: would require more energy than a cold blooded system would 228 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: be able to create. Okay, yeah, So then that leads 229 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: to people saying, well, dinosaurs were cold blooded, so they 230 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 1: couldn't possibly run that fast, or people saying, uh, the 231 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,600 Speaker 1: dinosaurs ran fast, so they have to be warm blooded. 232 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: So basically it seems like we have we have to 233 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: get to know the t rex a little bit better. Yeah, 234 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: and uh, and and also there's you know, we talked 235 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: about applying anthropomorphic baggage to dinosaurs earlier. I think part 236 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 1: of that too is when we think of think of 237 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: a dinosaur like a t rex is being like a 238 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: predator or being a scavenger. We tend to think of 239 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 1: our most iconic modern examples the right or you know, 240 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: a vulture or you know something else that runs in 241 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: front of your car, you know, to eat a dead possum, 242 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: and their nature doesn't always work in such well defined uh. 243 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 1: You know, examples like for instance, takee commodo dragon. This 244 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: is a large predator and it is at the top 245 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: of its food chain, and it's in its respective ecosystems, 246 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 1: but it's not running down gazelle or anything, you know, 247 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: and it's it's not even depending on like that kind 248 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: of energy to take its prey. It'll come up to, 249 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:18,839 Speaker 1: say a water buffalo, and will bite it, and then 250 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:21,960 Speaker 1: it'll set around and wait weeks for that water buffalo 251 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,560 Speaker 1: to die from the venom, and then once it gets 252 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:26,679 Speaker 1: week we can off. All the other commodo dragons will 253 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: come over and they'll feast on it. So that's not 254 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: you know, a very iconic view of a predator's role. 255 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: And on the other end, scavengers aren't necessarily the skulking, 256 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: horrible little creatures in the night that you know, run 257 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: from every light. Right if you kind of think of 258 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: the whole green movement that's going on today, I mean, 259 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: you could regard scavengers as kind of heroic and that 260 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: nothing is wasted in nature and everything is eaten. And yeah, 261 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: so maybe it's not as much that the t rex 262 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: um is losing its appeal to kids, but it's like 263 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 1: it's like an image makeover the t Rex isn't necessarily 264 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: the king of the jungle, but hey, look how how 265 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 1: much of a you know, a green ICONI is eating 266 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: all that bone and well and and maybe he's a 267 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: little bit of both. And in fact, I think that's 268 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: what Tracy Wilson was getting at in her article was 269 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: the Tyrannosaurus rex a predator or scavenger? And you can 270 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 1: find that article, of course, on how staff Works. But 271 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: I mean, maybe the t Rex did have a little 272 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: bit of both. Yeah, I for one, I'm still gonna 273 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: continue to put t Rex at the top of my 274 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: list favorite dinosaur, top of your food chain. Robert, huh, 275 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: yeah about you? Do you like the t rex? If 276 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: this this has changed your view on him? I think 277 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,160 Speaker 1: the t rex is pretty cool. You're still sticking to 278 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: that Bronosaurus it doesn't actually exist. I still do like 279 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,320 Speaker 1: the purple Bronosaurus a little bit. Ak If Windstones. If 280 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: you have questions or you want to tell us about 281 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,120 Speaker 1: your favorite dinosaur, she just an email at science stuff 282 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: at how staff works dot com and they, meantime check 283 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: out some cool articles like our Komodo dragon's mouths deadlier 284 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: than Cobra's venom or was Tyrannosaurus rex, a predator or scavenger. 285 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: And you can also check got the blogs where you 286 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: can read about everything from robot dogs to no tech science, 287 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: and you can find that at the homepage and how 288 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. That's all we got, Thanks for listening. 289 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, is 290 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 1: it how stuff works dot com. Want more how stuff works, 291 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: check out our blogs on the house stuff works dot 292 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: com home page.