Princeton University Press King Tyrant: A Natural History of Tyrannosaurus rex

"King Tyrant: A Natural History of Tyrannosaurus Rex is an accessible synthesis of our understanding of the evolutionary position, life history, and biomechanics of the T. rex. It explores answers to classic questions, such as "how fast could it run?" "what were its small arms for?" or "was it a predator or scavenger?" At the same time it uncovers new questions, like "was it one species or many?" and "what did it look like?" The text also delves into our own relationship with T. rex, from a historic overview to pop culture references, and discusses whether our love for the dinosaur has helped or hindered our research and understanding"-- A marvelously illustrated look at everything we now know about the fearsome king of the dinosaursTyrannosaurus rex is the world’s favorite dinosaur, adored by the public and the subject of intense study and debate by paleontologists. This stunningly illustrated book brings together everything we have learned about T. rex—the “King of the Tyrant Lizards”—since it was first given its famous name in 1905. It presents these creatures as science knows them rather than the version portrayed in movies, revealing them to be dramatically different, and far more amazing, than ever imagined. With numerous original paintings and diagrams by the author, King Tyrant draws on the latest discoveries to offer a modern understanding of Tyrannosaurus, pulling back the curtain of media hype that often obscures these extraordinary extinct animals while cementing their reputation as the most formidable carnivores of the Mesozoic.Features more than 150 breathtaking illustrations, photos, and diagramsCovers everything from the research history of T. rex to their anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, behavior, and extinctionReveals how the Tyrannosaurus known to science is characterized as much by radical changes in body form throughout its growth as its enormous size and powerful jawsDiscloses details about their lifestyles and behavior evidenced from fossils, from violent face-biting between rivals to their capacity to literally pull the heads off Triceratops carcassesGets to the bottom of the many controversies surrounding T. rex, such as: Was there really more than one species of Tyrannosaurus? Did they live and hunt in groups? How fast could they run and how hard could they bite? Can we truly distinguish males from females?Discusses T. rex in popular culture, showing how our love for this dinosaur has both helped and hindered research Autorid: Mark P. Witton