How It Works-Book Of Dinosaurs

© Corbis; A lamy; Science Photo Librar y

The discover y of Deinonychus (“Dee-NON-i-KUSS”)

in 1964 overhauled our perception of dinosaurs as

languid and lumbering; here was a creature

clearly built for speedy pursuit. A lmost twice the

size of Velociraptor (insider tip – the

’Velociraptors‘ in Jurassic Park were actually

modelled after the bigger, badder Deinonychus!),

but a similar weight, it was a sprightly and most

likely a quick-witted pack hunter. A mong other

advantages, it possessed interlocking vertebrae

that allowed its tail to stiffen for balance when

running, and a retractable 13-centimetre

(fi ve-inch) claw on each foot to disembowel prey

restrained in its hands and jaw.

Deinonychus

Height: 1.5m (4.9ft)

Length: 3m (9.8ft)

Height: 4m (13.1ft)

Length: 12.5m (41ft)

Carcharodontosaurus’s South American cousin,

Giganotosaurus (“GIG-a-NOTE-o-SORE-uss”) was

another beast to rival T-rex for size. Depending

on the specimen, it is thought to have been

slightly smaller than Carcharodontosaurus, but

longer, taller and more slender than T-rex. It was

the fastest of the three, besting the others by at

least 16 kilometres (ten miles) per hour, perhaps

thanks to its superior balance.

It had a ver y large skull but, like

Carcharodontosaurus, it was more

neurologically primitive than T-rex; its brain

was a puny half the size of T-rex’s. Still, evidence

suggests it had a keen sense of smell, which

coupled with its athletic prowess and eight-

tonne bulk made it a formidable foe.

Like Carcharodontosaurus, Giganotosaurus’s

teeth were serrated and laterally compressed

• wide in profi le but narrow when viewed from
  the front – making them ideal tools to deliver a
  series of injurious slices to the body of its prey,
  which would eventually keel over from
  exhaustion and blood loss.

Giganotosaurus

Tail

Thin and pointed,

it gave

Giganotosaurus

the ability make

quick turns at top

speeds without

toppling over

Legs

Long and strong

legs meant this

killer could easily

outsprint T-rex at

an estimated

50kmh (31mph)

DID YOU KNOW? (^) T-rex could eat the equivalent of 1,500 sausages a day. That’s one heck of a barbeque
Killer stats
This giant razor-mouthed athlete roamed the
swamplands of South America during the
late-Cretaceous period, around 100-97 million
years ago.
Giganotosaurus
Size: 9/10
Arsenal & Adaptations: 9/10
Intellect: 2/10
Killer Rating: 9/10
Bite
Although Giganotosaurus’s jaw
was only a third as powerful as
T-rex’s, it was packed with sharp,
serrated 20cm (8in) daggers
Olfactory system
Large nostrils and advanced
olfactory bulbs in its small
brain gave it a keen sense of
smell for hunting down prey