Not all giant carnivorous dinosaurs hunted the same way. While Tyrannosaurus rex evolved a skull optimised for delivering powerful, bone-crushing bites, other large theropods such as Allosaurus and Giganotosaurus used weaker bites suited for tearing flesh, according to a new study published in Current Biology.
The research, led by scientists at the University of Bristol in England, used 3D technologies such as CT and surface scans to analyse the skull biomechanics of 18 species of carnivorous, bipedal dinosaurs. The aim was to explore how skull structure related to feeding behaviour and bite performance in these prehistoric predators.
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“Tyrannosaurs evolved skulls built for strength and crushing bites, while other lineages had comparatively weaker but more specialised skulls,” says co-author Andrew Rowe. “In other words, there wasn't one ‘best’ skull design for being a predatory giant; several designs functioned perfectly well.”
The analysis showed that although many of these dinosaurs reached similar sizes, their skulls were biomechanically different. While T. rex could deliver incredibly strong bites, this came at the cost of increased skull stress. In contrast, species like Giganotosaurus had lighter bites that produced less stress, suggesting alternative hunting strategies.
"Carnivorous dinosaurs took very different paths as they evolved into giants in terms of feeding biomechanics and possible behaviours,” Rowe explains.
Some of the dinosaurs with the weakest bites, such as Allosaurus, may have fed more like today’s Komodo dragons, using slashing movements to incapacitate prey. T. rex, on the other hand, had a feeding style more like a crocodile – clamping down with enough force to crush bone.
The researchers also found that bite strength didn’t always scale with size. Some smaller theropods produced greater skull stress due to more muscle volume and bite force than larger species. This variety in design indicates that large carnivorous dinosaurs coexisted with different ecological roles, reducing competition and allowing for specialisation, says Rowe.
The findings highlight how these long-extinct predators evolved diverse adaptations to thrive in ancient ecosystems – not just in size, but in how they hunted and fed.
Top image: Tyrannasaurus rex skull. Credit: Getty
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