When running on tiptoe, Tyrannosaurus rex was faster than Usain Bolt: study

Since the premiere of the blockbuster Jurassic Parkhe Tyrannosaurus rex It has been associated with the earth tremors that it caused in the film when it moved.

But in fact, instead of stomping heel-first, the prehistoric beast may have stood on tiptoe as it wandered around on its gigantic feet, a study has found.

And, according to experts, it could have moved 20 percent faster than previously thought, fast enough to beat Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt.

The findings contradict previous theories about how extinct species moved. Previous fingerprint analysis Tyrannosaurus rex They suggested that their heels hit the ground first.

However, the team of scientists has now gathered data on the anatomy of these dinosaurs to discover that they have more in common with the way birds walk. They said this tyrannosaur had a “very bird-like gait, defined by higher stride frequencies” and moved at “high speeds.”

The study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Sciencefrom the Royal Society of London for the Advancement of Science, suggests that the beast would have struck the ground with the distal, or front, part of its foot, towards the end of its large central toe.

Researchers at the College of the Atlantic University in Maine explained that the use of this part of the foot evoked the running form of a “bird” or a “human athlete.” It also led to “a more efficient transfer in terms of kinematics and linear speed.”

According to the researchers’ model, a tyrannosaurus weighing about 1.4 tons could have reached a maximum speed of 11.4 meters per second (m/s), meaning it could run 100 meters in 8.77 seconds.

By comparison, world record holder Usain Bolt ran the 100 meters in 9.58 seconds.

According to the study, one of these antediluvian creatures, weighing 6.5 tons, could move at 9.5 m/s.

“Instead of stepping heel first, the Tyrannosaurus rex “I could have taken shorter steps, first with the toe,” a Real Sociedad spokesperson told the newspaper. The Times.

“The analysis of the foot strike, based on the anatomy of the T-rexthe tracks and locomotion of modern birds, suggests that their toetips hit the ground first, contrary to previous theories. “This would also suggest that the dinosaur was moving an average of 20 percent faster than previously believed,” he added.

The study authors concluded: “Our study represents, to our knowledge, the first quantitative biomechanical analysis of the effects of stepping patterns on human walking. Tyrannosaurus”.

Other fossil research has recently revealed that the T-rex It grew much more slowly than previously thought, taking several decades to reach its full size of about eight tons.

The study of 17 tyrannosaur specimens, ranging from young juveniles to giant adults, found that it took the king of carnivores 40 years to reach full size.