Source by: Only Dinosaurs
Whose side of the ring will you be cheering from in an Allosaurus VS T. rex dinosaur match? It’s a tough decision for sure!
This short and punchy article will help you see the main differences between an Allosaurus and a T. rex. Here are the exciting things we’ll be sharing:
- Allosaurus VS Tyrannosaurus rex Basic Differences
- Allosaurus’ & rex‘s Bite Force Compared
- The Main Difference Between The Allosaurus & rex‘s Predatory Styles
- Allosaurus & rex‘s Physical Features Matched Up
- The Main Difference Points Between Allosaurus & rex Summarized
Sounds good? Let’s take a look at these cool dinosaur fighters!
Allosaurus & Tyrannosaurus rex Key Differences
Source by: Jakub Hałun
One of the key differences between the two dinosaurs is time. The Allosaurus was a carnivorous dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period. On the other hand, the Tyrannosaurus rex was a carnivorous dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous period. The movie Jurassic Park nailed the T. rex‘s fierceness through the realistic animatronic dinosaur that portrayed the famous Late Cretaceous period creature.
Here’s a little context about their fossil remains. The Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus’ first fossils were both found in Golden, Colorado. But despite sharing the same location, they differed in the little details.
Source by: BGR
The Allosaurus was discovered in 1960 by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden at Colorado’s Middle Park. The fossil found was its tail vertebra. Additionally, the first fossil remains of the Allosaurus were described by Othniel Charles Marsh.
On the other side of this story, the T. rex‘s earliest fossils found were its teeth which were discovered by Arthur Lakes in 1874 at Golden, Colorado. They were first described by Henry Fairfield Osborn.
Lastly, the Allosaurus’ name means “different lizard”. The T. rex‘s name means “tyrant lizard king”.
Aside from those, these fierce terrestrial animals from Western North America also differed in their strength, physical features, and predatory style. Get to know the specifics in the next section!
The Allosaurus' & Tyrannosaurus' Bite Force Compared
Source by: Michael Descharle
Next up are the strength levels of these dinosaurs’ bite forces. Let’s take a look at the Tyrannosaurus first.
Did you know a T. rex can swiftly rip out its prey’s flesh in just a few bites with its sharp teeth? It can deliver a crushing 57,000 N of force with its bite!
This is because of its front jaws which had a unique V-shape which added to the strength of any chomp it made. You’ll notice this distinct look to its skull when you look at the jaws’ shape which was wide at the rear and narrowed gradually towards the snout.
Source by: Naional Park Serice
Add to that the Tyrannosaurus’ excellent binocular vision. Now you see how these features made the tyrant king of North America’s large theropods the apex predator that it was during the Cretaceous period. So with all of these working for the T. rex, the Allosaurus just might not stand a chance against the tyrant lizard king!
Don’t fret if you’re rooting for the Allosaurus. The different lizard from the Jurassic period of North America can deliver its own strong blow of up to 8,724 N! It’s barely a fraction of the Tyrannosaurus’ but even other creatures like the Stegosaurus and sauropods didn’t survive that kind of bite.
The Allosaurus delivered its deadly bite like how a machete slashes at anything its wielder makes it touch. Flesh and bone get splintered without much resistance especially during ambush attacks by the Allosaurus. The Tyrannosaurus can receive formidable damage with the Allosaurus’ ability to deliver machete-like slashing and lose the match.
The Main Difference Between the Allosaurus & T. rex's Predatory Styles
Source by: Canva
One thing that would immediately activate in a fight between dinosaurs is their predation style and feeding habits. How would with these predators attack potential prey or enemy that will lead them to victory? Here’s how.
Tyrannosaurus’ Predatory Style
Source by: Canva
Let’s begin again with the Tyrannosaurus rex. The Tyrannosaurus lived in North America during the Cretaceous period 68-66 million years ago where it was an active predator and the period’s largest carnivore. It took on other dinosaurs no matter what kind. Ankylosaurs, sauropods, and frilled dinosaurs didn’t stand a chance against a T. rex when it locked in its hawk-like binocular vision on them and attacked.
It didn’t have long claws to slash its enemies like other dinosaurs. But despite that, this voracious eater from the Late Cretaceous period took down potential food and foes with its crushing bite and sheer muscular force. It was also an occasional scavenger.
Just by looking at it, the Tyrannosaurus also has longer teeth than the Allosaurus. Can you believe that paleontologists estimated the largest T. rex tooth to be around 12 inches long? No wonder it could easily crush bones!
Allosaurus Predatory Style
Source by: Fred Wierum
On the other hand, the Allosaurus had short serrated teeth. Yes, its teeth could slash prey but it’s not even a close match against the Tyrannosaurus’ set of chompers. The Allosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic period 155-145 million years ago where it dominated its own side of the world as an active predator.
It loved feeding on species like Stegosauruses and sauropods too. The Allosaurus also had a U-shaped snout that helped it kill prey just like the T. rex.
For this round of the Allosaurus VS T. rex fight, the T. rex takes the upper hand with its longer teeth and more aggressive and flexible approach to hunting.
The Allosaurus & Tyrannosaurus' Physical Features Matched Up
Source by: Jonathan Chen
Now let’s see how these bipedal reptiles match up against each other as we place their physical features side by side. Who do you think has got the size advantage in this dinosaur fight?
Tyrannosaurus Arms Compared to Allosaurus
Source by: Evolutionnumber9
When it comes to the ability to grasp or grapple enemies, the T. rex may have to be content with being second best. Why? Because it only had short forelimbs and its arms’ length was only around a meter long. The arms also have only two fingers. Paleontologists suggest that the T. rex‘s arms were most likely used more for copulation than fighting or hunting.
Despite that, the Tyrannosaurus species makes up for it with its powerful hindlimbs. In fact, the muscles of its hindlimbs were the longest compared to other theropods.
The Allosaurus has the advantage in this physical aspect because it had longer arms compared to the Tyrannosaurus. Scientists estimate its powerful arms with three fingers to be 35% in proportion to its hindlimbs’ length. Unlike the T. rex, it used its arms to grasp prey from afar and up close when the Allosaurus lived 155 million years ago.
Sizing Up the Dino Bods of the Tyrannosaurus & the Allosaurus
Source by: Domser
The scary tyrant lizard from the Maastrichtian Age grew to a size of up to 40.7 feet in length and 8.4 metric tons in weight. Though not all tyrannosaurs grew and weighed as much, some reached shorter heights and lighter weights like 5.4 metric tons. This is for the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus species called Sue.
Aside from its powerful legs, the T. rex also had a long heavy tail. The tail helped the Tyrannosaurus keep its body balance as it rocked a heavy skull and massive torso.
So how does the Allosaurus compare? This bipedal animal from the Jurassic period grew to lengths of over 28 feet and weights as heavy as 1.7 metric tons. This length is for the type species Allosaurus fragilis.
The dinosaur with the better advantage in the fight here is the Tyrannosaurus because the Allosaurus is smaller and less powerful.
Need for Speed: Speed Abilities of the Allosaurus VS T. rex
Source by: Kabacchi
The Allosaurus is the faster dinosaur of the two bipedal predators in this aspect. despite its legs not being made to run quickly. Scientists’ data show that the Allosaurus’ running speed is as fast as 55 kmh. While evidence for the Tyrannosaurus shows that it lags behind the Allosaurus with a running speed of only 32 kmh.
The Main Difference Points Between Allosaurus & T. rex Summarized
Source by: Only Dinosaurs
The Allosaurus was one of the Jurassic period’s scary bipedal predators. It had a lot of good things going for it like how strong its bite force was, its surprising ability to run quickly, and its large body. But the T. rex reigns superior because it was a stronger and larger dinosaur. The scavenger and tyrant lizard was just better than the Allosaurus and for us, is the winner of this fierce dinosaur match.
We also think these two incredible creatures make equally awesome dinosaur costumes. They simply fit what every cool dinosaur should be — cool, fierce, and extraordinary. Even little kids would love playing with baby dinosaur puppets of the Allosaurus and the T. rex. They easily excite even young ones’ imaginations!
Going back to the match, do you agree? Who do you think should be the winner? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. If you enjoyed this post, we hope to see you again in the next one!
