The story of "STAN", the
Tyrannosaurus rex, began 65 million years ago in the heart
of what is known today as North America. By studying the
earth, along with fossil bones and plants, scientists can
piece together a picture of what life was like then - and
how this largest carnivore to walk the Earth lived out his
days.
After studying T. rex specimens found together, we
believe that "Stan" lived his life in a family group.
Hatching from an egg (like a modern bird), Stan would have
been cared for by his parents, who taught him and his
siblings to hunt. Eventually, Stan left the family group and
found his own mate, a female 30% heavier than himself and
with whom he probably spent the rest of his life.
Stan and his mate fought many battles during their
lifetimes - some with other T. rex! For example, each attack
to bring down a prey animal not only afforded the
opportunity to dine, but also the possibility of injury, and
competition. Stan's skeleton, along with those of other T.
rex specimens, shows the scars of ancient battles. By
studying these "pathologies" in the bones, we surmise that
T. rex scuffled for territory, fought over food, and engaged
in other behaviors similar to today's carnivores.