AMNH T-Rex Walk, Don't Run Theropod Biomechanics

This T. rex, one-seventh actual size, is moving at the rough equivalent of 11 to 16 kilometers (seven to ten miles) per hour. This is much slower than many previous estimates, and it's certainly less speedy than most Hollywood versions of the great Cretaceous carnivore. However, this pace is based on the weight of the animal—6,000-plus kilograms (more than 13,000 pounds)—and the stresses on bone, muscle and tendon that take place during movement.
While no one knows exactly how huge tyrannosaurs held their legs, biomechanics experts think a creature the size of T. rex's weight might have gotten around on legs held in a relatively straight position. That way, the animal's greatest weight—its center of mass—would have been just above its knees. Big modern animals use this pose: elephants and rhinos walk with straighter legs than small, fast animals do.

By studying living animals, including chickens and humans, researchers figured out how much leg muscle it takes for an animal to run fast. Then they applied their findings to extinct dinosaurs, varying factors such as posture and weight, which affect movement.

Their results? A sprinting T. rex was a physical impossibility. While a small theropod could run fairly quickly, a six-ton tyrannosaur would have required about three tons of leg muscle to reach speeds of 70 kilometers (45 miles) per hour!

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• DINOSAUR
• AMNH
• T-Rex
• Walk
• Don't
• Run
• Theropod
• Biomechanics

[whatzupa]

wasn't there a higher oxygen content on Earth at the time, which would give greater strength per muscle volume and allow creatures to be able to become large ?

[ZeBoXeS]

WHo DA FAWK posts a HALO comment on a DINOSAUR video. I bet you don't really give a SHIT.

[dali366]

Also by walking more upright it would have likely been a heavier animal 8-10 tons maybe?

[dali366]

I believe the whole posture is wrong. If you notice the pelvic bone seems to have webbing on either side of the femur head but not in the middle where all the load bearing is at present on the model. That is why the animal looks 'lazy' . Surely this cannot be it's ONP because the stresses would be at it's greatest. Therefore the animal must have walked more upright. It would have used the other webbed side to crouch down to eat, rest and sleep etc

[tyliong]

Thanks i needed this for animation project. Very helpful to understand how the Trex's legs move

[S0XF0X]

@whatzupa Yes, to a point. You can't leave out the affects of gravity, that'll change things a bit. :)

[fuggit13]

Ok Let ignore the fact that this 15 second video of a walking skeleton got a 4 out of 5 What are the chances this video even got any comments lol

[cortedemico]

i make a running t rex you'll see muwahahaha

ps i serious. >]

[newyorkny5023]

but t-rex had holow bones so that would make it liter

[pkt1tripe]

tops speeds of a fully grown t.rex are 30 mph at best