Whenever you hear the word fossils, what comes to your mind - Dinosaurs, right? Since our childhood days, the topic of dinosaurs and getting to know more about them through what we call fossils has always been a fascination and more than just a hobby for many.
All of these things offer us a glimpse into our past lives and give us the chance to explore where we came from and how life was when we weren’t born.
Dinosaur fossils aren’t just decorative items; these fossils are much more than just a decorative item it is an artifact that gives us a chance to gain knowledge about pre-historic times and about how different life used to be during pre-historic times when these dinosaurs used to exist.
Tylosaurus - The Ancient Sea Ruler
The tylosaurus dinosaurs were extremely large aquatic reptiles that existed during the second half of the Cretaceous period. They were classified under the Squamata, which consisted of reptiles and belonged to the genus of the Mosasauridae.
The tylosaurus existed 80 to 89 million years ago in the Campanian era of the Cretaceous period and swam in the oceans of that time. It was discovered by Henry Fairfield Osborn, who described the first complete skeleton of this species and gave it the name Tylosuarus in 1899.
Its fossils were found primarily in North America, Europe, and Africa. They were 8.83 meters (29.0 ft long) and weighed upto 17 tons.
They had a large, strong chest and arms, big flippers alongwith a long streamlined body, a strong tail for swimming, a ram-shaped snout, and big conical teeth that were perfect for catching prey.
Tyrannosaurus Rex vs Giganotosaurus - Who Would Win?
Imagine while you’re arguing about who’s the best predator of all time, Tyrannosaurus vs Giganotosaurus, and you get to see a scene like this in Jurassic Park! Now, wouldn’t this be amazing?
Tyrannosaurus Rex/T-Rex
The tyrannosaurus rex was a deadly predator in the Mesozoic Era and lived in the Late Cretaceous period, 66-68 million years ago. The tyrannosaurus weighed approximately between 11,000 - 15,500 pounds (5,000-7,000 kilograms) and upto 40 ft long and 12 feet high.
Key Features:
Bite Force: It possessed one of the most powerful bites that ranged estimated between 8,000 and 12,800 pounds.
Senses: Due to its height it was easily able to locate its prey from a considerable distance with the help of its heightened senses like - smell and vision.
Giganotosaurus
Giganotosaurus (meaning - ‘Giant southern lizard’ or ‘Giga’), in short, belongs to the genus of theropod that lived in the now Argentina during the Late Cretaceous period approximately 100 to 99 million years ago.
It was found in Patagonia’s Candeleros Formation in 1993 by the Argentinian fossil hunter and paleontologist Rubén D. Carolini and was named in the year 1995. It weighed about 7,000-8,000 kg (15,400-17,600 pounds) and reached a length of 12-13 (40-43 ft) and a height of 7 meters (23 ft.).
Key Features
Speed: Giganotosaurus was a fast runner for its size and reached upto a speed of 24 mph (40 km/h).
Bite Force: It had a powerful bite, with large, serrated teeth that were capable of delivering devastating bone-crushing bites.
Senses: They had a heightened sense of smell, sight and hearing, making them effective hunters.
Who Would Win?
When it comes to the fight, both the dinosaurs are deadly predators and have their own strengths and weaknesses when fighting each other.
Although hypothetically speaking, in a fight between the Tyrannosaurus vs Giganotosaurus, the Tyrannosaurus rex would win this fight.
A Giganotosaurus fights or attacks its prey by using its claws to make them bleed. However, it won’t work in the fight against the T-rex.
Due to a T-rex's flexible body and strong legs, it would easily throw away the Giganotosaurus and then deliver a devastating bit,e leading to breaking the bones or disabling the Giganotosaurus.
What are Raptors? Discovering these Predators
You must be asking yourself this when you see a dinosaur that has a body shaped like that of a bird - what are raptors, and what makes these creatures different from the other dinosaurs?
Raptors was a word derived from the Latin word - ‘rapere,’ meaning ‘to grab or seize.’ This term was given to several unrelated but similar groups of predator birds that occupied similar habitats in nature.
Key Features:
They had large eyes that took up 25-67 percent of their skulls. Their well-developed eyes gave them the ability to see from a great distance.
They were popular for their unique combination of speed, agility, and striking resemblance to modern-day birds.
Final Thoughts
Dinosaurs have been a topic of fascination and admiration when it comes to learning about the types of creatures that used to live in earlier times. This is why dinosaurs and dinosaur fossils are something that fascinates people of all ages and help them to be aware of the early ages.
If you’re also someone who is interested in knowing more about dinosaurs and their respective fossils and want to own a fossil yourself or wanna gift it to someone, then check out our website - Fossil Age Minerals, and contact us by phone or email.