Study: T. rex had the strongest bite, ever

CNET

No creature, living or dead has ever come close to matching the power and strength of the Tyrannosaurus rex's bone breaking bite, according to new research published in the Biology Letters.

British scientists produced a digital model of a T. rex skeleton at Manchester Museum, complete with all the muscles which the beast used to snap its huge jaws shut, to calculate the full force of a bite.

"We digitised the skull with a laser scanner, so we had a 3-D model of the skull on our computer," Dr Bates told BBC Nature.

Scientists have long been divided on this issue. Many have argued that the mechanics of T. rex's jaw limited the dinosaur to feasting only on carcases.

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Dr. Karl Bates, from the University of Liverpool biomechanics laboratory, conducted the study along with colleague Peter Falkingham of the University of Manchester.

Past studies estimated the T. rex's biting force to be as powerful as 13,400 Newtons (3,012 lbs). However, the new British study, which tested a wider range of muscles, found the biting force was more likely between 35,000 (7,868 lbs) and 57,000 Newtons (12,814 lbs) in a single rear tooth.

"That's equivalent to a medium-sized elephant sitting on you." Dr Bates told the BBC.

The human biting force is typically less than 1,000 Newtons.

Dr Bill Sellers who studies living and extinct animals at the University of Manchester told BBC Nature, "I think everyone expected T. rex to have a strong bite force, but it's even stronger than we expected."

This story was filed by Allie Hinds in the CBS News London Bureau.

[enough-already]

You mean someone gets PAID to study and report on such things? What practical application can this possibly have in todays world? Seems like a ridiculous waste of time and money. And WHO pays the salaries of these "scientists"? Taxpayers?

[roblearns]

@JoeDamico, frankly that was a bit of an embarrassment.

LOL, I love it when someone a)makes a nice point or b) get's in a good zinger.

I think what you did there was frankly a stretch. That's an understatement, that was painful to read, I need to go erase it from my memory, see you later dude.

[joedamico34]

T. rex's biting force between 35,000 (7,868 lbs) and 57,000 Newtons (12,814 lbs)

Republicans can beat the T. rex's biting force, everytime they take a bite out of the American people they go way beyond the 57,000 Newtons (12,814 lbs. Vote the Republicans out and make them as extinct T. Rex before they bite YOU in the butt.

[3Shtlnds]

You're an idiot.