King Tyrant A Natural History of Tyrannosaurus rex

About this book

Tyrannosaurus rex is the world's favourite dinosaur, adored by the public and the subject of intense study and debate by palaeontologists. 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 diagrams
- Covers everything from the research history of T. rex to their anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, behaviour, and extinction
- Reveals 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 jaws
- Discloses details about their lifestyles and behaviour evidenced from fossils, from violent face-biting between rivals to their capacity to literally pull the heads off Triceratops carcasses
- Gets 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

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Biography

Mark P. Witton is a palaeontologist, author, and artist based at the University of Portsmouth. He designs and advises on extinct creatures for films and documentaries, including the hit Apple TV+ series Prehistoric Planet, and his artwork is widely featured in books and museums around the world. His books include Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy (Princeton).