Might Not Want to Kiss One, But Scientists Say T. Rex Dinosaur Had Lips

The Tyrannosaurus rex, or T. rex, is a dinosaur¹ that lived from the late Jurassic Period, about 150 million years ago, to the end of the Cretaceous Period, about 65 million years ago.

Most artistic² representations of the animal show its large, sharp teeth sticking out of its mouth, always visible. The T. rex model of the Jurassic Park movie series is an example.

But scientists now say the dino probably did not look like that.

Tyrannosaurus rex belongs to a group of meat-eating dinosaurs³ called theropods. A study published Thursday in the journal Science found the teeth on T. rex and other big theropods were likely covered by thick, scaly⁴ lips. Lips are the soft parts that surround the mouth.

The scientists found that the dinosaur's teeth did not stick out when its mouth was closed. They added that even in a wide open bite, only a small area of its teeth would show.

The research is the latest in a long debate over how dinosaur mouths really looked.

Recent images show big teeth extending out of the dinosaurs' jaws⁵, even when closed. Some people thought the dinosaurs' teeth were just too big to fit in their mouth, said study writer Thomas Cullen. He is a paleontologist at Auburn University in Alabama.

When researchers compared skulls⁷ from dinosaurs and living reptiles⁸, though, they found this was not the case. Cullen said some large monitor lizards⁹ actually have bigger teeth than T. rex compared to their head size, and can still fit them under a set of scaly lips.

The scientists also found signs of wear on the surface of the teeth that suggested they were hidden from view.

Reptiles without such lip protection, like crocodiles, experience wear on their teeth quickly.

But when researchers studied a tooth from Daspletosaurs, a T. rex relative, they found it was in good condition and it did not show similar signs of wear.

Thomas Holtz is a dinosaur expert with the University of Maryland. He said with this evidence and other information from the build of the dinosaur, the study makes a good case for lipped tyrannosaurs. The lips would be thin and scaly, he added. The scientist was not involved with the study.

It is not the first time the representation of dinosaurs has been called into question. Most of what science learns about dinosaurs comes from their bones. It is harder to get clear answers about soft tissues, like skin. Remains¹⁰ of soft tissues disappear more quickly.

Adding lips to artistic representations may make dinosaurs look a little less terrifying, but it also makes them feel more realistic, Mark Witton said. He is a paeloartist at England's University of Portsmouth and another writer of the study.

"You don't really see a monster," he said. "You see an animal."

Words in This Story

visible – n. able to be seen; exposed to view

scale – n. one of many small thin plates that cover the bodies of some animals (such as fish or snakes)

jaws – n. either one of the two bones of the face where teeth grow

paleontology – n. the science that deals with the fossils of animals and plants that lived very long ago especially in the time of dinosaurs

skull⁶ – n. the structure of bones that form the head and face of a person or animal

monster – n. a strange or horrible imaginary creature

1 dinosaur   

n.恐龙

参考例句：

• Are you trying to tell me that David was attacked by a dinosaur?你是想要告诉我大卫被一支恐龙所攻击？
• He stared at the faithful miniature of the dinosaur.他凝视著精确的恐龙缩小模型。

2 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

3 dinosaurs   

n.恐龙( dinosaur的名词复数 )；守旧落伍的人，过时落后的东西

参考例句：

• The brontosaurus was one of the largest of all dinosaurs. 雷龙是所有恐龙中最大的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Dinosaurs have been extinct for millions of years. 恐龙绝种已有几百万年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 scaly   

adj.鱼鳞状的；干燥粗糙的

参考例句：

• Reptiles possess a scaly,dry skin.爬行类具有覆盖着鳞片的干燥皮肤。
• The iron pipe is scaly with rust.铁管子因为生锈一片片剥落了。

5 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

6 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

7 skulls   

颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜

参考例句：

• One of the women's skulls found exceeds in capacity that of the average man of today. 现已发现的女性颅骨中，其中有一个的脑容量超过了今天的普通男子。
• We could make a whole plain white with skulls in the moonlight! 我们便能令月光下的平原变白，遍布白色的骷髅！

8 reptiles   

n.爬行动物，爬虫( reptile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Snakes and crocodiles are both reptiles. 蛇和鳄鱼都是爬行动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Birds, reptiles and insects come from eggs. 鸟类、爬虫及昆虫是卵生的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 lizards   

n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外，没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句
• Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗？ 来自辞典例句

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。