THE HAGUE (Reuters) – In contrast to its popular film incarnations, Tyrannosaurus rex – the giant carnivorous dinosaur from the Cretaceous – walked slower than previously thought, probably walking around with human walking speed, new Dutch research has found.
Using the three-dimensional computer model of “Trix”, a female T. rex skeleton at the Dutch Naturalis Museum, researcher Pasha van Bijlert added computer reconstructions of muscles and ligaments to determine that it is likely that the dinosaur’s preferred speed 4, 61 km (2.86 miles) an hour, close to walking people and horses.
In an article on the movement of dinosaurs in the Royal Open Society Science journal, Van Bijlert and his co-authors said that T. rex’s big tail plays an important role in his movement.
They looked at how the animal would achieve a natural frequency of movement, taking into account not only leg muscles as in previous studies, but also the tail movement, which would reduce the amount of energy used.
“The tail would rock up and down with each step (like a giraffe’s neck). If the rhythm and the natural frequency of the tail match, the tail will resonate, maximizing energy storage,” Van Bijlert said said on Twitter.
By calculating the T. Rex’s walking rhythm, researchers estimated its walking speed.
However, it is too soon to assume that one could exceed a T. rex: the researchers said they were looking at the terrifying predator’s walking pace and were still investigating the possible top speed.
There is also no possibility that it will be tested, as the species died more than 60 million years before humans appeared on earth.
(Edited by Stephanie van den Berg; edited by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)