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Assignment Part 1: Discussion: Some paleontologists believe that Tyrannosaurus rex was a scavenger citing poor vision, slow speed and the tiny useless forelimbs as evidence. Were these factors true? Was T-rex a predator or a scavenger? Choose one position or the other and then provide evidence citing your sources. Be sure to also address the Tiny Forelimb issue in your argument. What was the purpose and function of the tiny forelimbs?

Assignment Part 2: Respond to two student posts below

Alejandro Olivares

In my opinion, I believe that the Tyrannosaurus Rex was a predator rather than a scavenger. A few things from the lecture helped me decide on this. The Tyrannosaurus Rex had very large serrated "steak knife" teeth. It is kinda obvious the reason they had all of their teeth like that. They belonged to a group known as Theropods, which are flesh, meat-eating dinosaurs. Evidence from the lecture suggests that wear and tear on their teeth is more evidence that they used their teeth to crunch and crush through the bones of their prey. Some say that the Tyrannosaurs Rex had such short arms for balance for the way the dinosaur was built. Another reason is so the arms don't get in the way while they are hunting or eating their prey since they did have very large heads. There is no function to the tiny forelimbs but only for balance in the way the T-rex was built.

Kristine Mckeown

A Tyrannosaurus was the largest and most ferocious in the Theropod gene. They were meat eating monsters. They were very fast and for being so large they were light on their feet. They were hunters and would use their incredibly powerful upper jaw to crush their preys' bones to immobilize them. After that they would chew into the flesh with their serrated teeth. Their prey usually suffered a brutal and agonizing death. These creatures got larger with time and there for I will have to say they were predator's. All the facts point towards this conclusion.