Have you ever wondered what it would be like if two dinosaurs have a duel to decide which species is the greater one? That is exactly what we are doing here today. This AnimalSake article has the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Allosaurus battling it out to see who will survive, and who will fall.
Popularity Speaks!
The T-Rex is more popular than the Allosaurus, chiefly because it is the first dinosaur in the movie Jurassic Park to have a proper attack scene of its own. This has etched the Rex into the minds of people permanently.
The word Tyrannosaurus Rex reminds everyone of the giant, scary, sharp-toothed dinosaur who tries to kill the lead trio by pushing its snout through their car roof, in the movie Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg managed to make the T-Rex a legend, unforgettable by the world. The Allosaurus, on the other hand, a not-as-popular-as-the-T-Rex dinosaur, is a smaller species that existed a very very long time ago. Making a comparison between these two dinosaurs is quite ridiculous really, because they existed in different time periods.
The T-Rex came about 70 million years after the Allosaurus, and the only way they could really meet was by time travel. Anyway, there are many points of differences between these two theropods, and they are listed below. Take a look and decide for yourself which dino you think is more likely to win.
Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Allosaurus – The Battle Begins
Tyrannosaurus
Scientific name –Tyrannosaurus rex
Name meaning – Tyrant lizard
Size
Length – 40 feet (12 meters)
Height – 18 to 20 feet
Weight – 7 metric tons (Approx. 15,000 pounds)
Habitat and Distribution –Native to North America. Also found in Canada.
Period of Existence –Cretaceous Period (60 million years ago)
Allosaurus
Scientific name – Allosaurus fragilis
Name meaning – Other lizard
Size
Length – 32 to 40 feet (10 to 12 meters)
Height – 12 to 14 feet
Weight – 2 metric tons (Approx. 5,000 pounds)
Habitat and Distribution – Native to North America and Europe. Was also found in Portugal.
Period of Existence – Jurassic Period (150 million years ago)
Appearance
The teeth of the T-Rex are powerful and huge, about 10 inches in length. (Scary!!) They are thick and rounded, like a stick. These teeth can pierce through almost anything, as you will find out in the diet section below.
The teeth of the Allosaurus are short in size, about 4 inches long. They are flattened laterally, like a knife or a sword. They grow in a backward slant, thus not allowing a prey to escape, and are extremely sharp.
The T-Rex has 2 fingers on its forelegs, whereas the Allosaurus has 3.
Vision and Hearing
The T-Rex has binocular vision which is very powerful. It is about 13 times that of humans. This enables it to see objects at long distances, and to spot a prey in its periphery quite easily. Any poor schmuck will have almost no chance of escaping once the Rex has laid its eyes on him. Its sense of hearing is also excellent. It can spot sounds of varying frequencies from miles away.
The Allosaurus takes a beating here too. It does have binocular vision, but compared to the Rex’s, it is quite poor. It is also restricted to 20 degrees, so if a prey manages to go outside this range, it probably gets to live for one more day. The hearing capacity of this dino is not very good either, as the size of its ears is similar to a crocodile’s.
Lifespan
The T-Rex will live longer than the Allosaurus, having an average lifespan of 30 years, as compared to the latter’s 26.
Diet and Hunting Technique
The T-Rex is considered by many to be a scavenger, and by many others simply as a predator. Either way, this massive dude is a voracious eater, and will consume just about anything, literally. It is a carnivore, obviously, but is also believed to have indulged in cannibalism. This means that it could eat another T-Rex just as easily as, say, a Stegosaurus or a Velociraptor (shudder!!).
Compared to the T-Rex, the Allosaurus seems like an absolute darling because it does NOT eat its family members, but sticks to other species. However, this little guy has turned out to be a complete badass; fossil studies have evidence that the Allosaurus took on dinosaurs and other creatures that were much bigger than itself, and emerged victorious, with a few proud battle scars to sport as well.
Speed
The speed that a Rex could reach while running is about 25 miles per hour. It is hard to imagine a Rex making its huge self run so fast, but it can. Seems scarier and scarier with every fresh bit information, doesn’t it?
The Allosaurus is not far behind, but behind nonetheless, with a running speed of 21 miles per hour. I know what you’re starting to think now, that this comparison is futile and the Rex is going to win anyway. But what you don’t know is that though the Allosaurus is slow, it is more agile and has better reflexes. This gives it a small glimmer of hope after all the statistics mentioned above.
Bite Force
The bite force of an Allosaurus is lesser than even an alligator’s! It’s not more than 4,000 Newtons; pretty bad, I know.
The Rex is believed to have the highest bite force of all terrestrial animals, measuring about 40,000 Newtons (Whoa! I would not like to be snapped at by this dude!).
The Final Verdict
So, what do you think? Who would win? The scary giant or the little guy? After comparing all the aspects, the verdict seems to point quite obviously towards the Rex. It is fast, it bites to kill, it has excellent vision, and it is huge!! But don’t give up hope on the little guy as yet. The Allosaurus is quick, its smaller size enables it to hide easily, and it has taken on dinosaurs that are bigger than itself before. Like I said, unless the two actually travel through time to meet and duel, it is quite difficult to say who will win. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, but they are both just as awesome, and unique in their own ways.