Daspletosaurus Dinosaur Teeth
Daspletosaurus torosus was an enormous
animal, almost 30 feet long, weighing 3 tons. It was an early member of the
tyrannosaur family and looks like a smaller version of T. rex. There is
evidence that Tyrannosaurus may have been directly descended from
Daspletosaurus.
Stocky and powerful, this meat-eater lived in marshes by streams. It had tiny
horns behind its eyes and the largest teeth of any of the tyrannosaurids. Each
tooth was dagger-sharp, curved, and saw-edged. With its formidable teeth and
jaws, clawed feet, and sheer bulk, Daspletosaurus torosus was easily
capable of killing even the largest of its herbivorous prey. Like other
tyrannosaurids, this species also had a pair of small, two-fingered hands.
Tyrannosaurids, the "tyrant lizards", are the best-known family of dinosaurs
and are the largest terrestrial carnivores that ever lived. They appeared in
Late Cretaceous times around 80 million years ago. Most of them vanished during
the mysterious mass extinction of all dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. For some
unknown reason, Daspletosaurus torosus came to an end about three million
years before the great dinosaur extinction.
