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Tyrannosaurus rex was slow mongabay.com June 7, 2007
The research, led by biomechanics expert John Hutchinson, dispels the notion that T. rex was capable of running at speeds up to 45 miles per hour, as depicted in some Hollywood movies. Hutchinson and colleagues used computer-modeling to calculate the weight of T. rex using a fossil specimen and then estimate its running speed and turning ability, according to a report from National Geographic News. "We now know that a T. rex would have been front-heavy, turned slowly, and could manage no more than a leisurely jog," Hutchinson is quoted as saying by National Geographic News. The researchers say that adult T. rex probably averaged six to eight tons, about twice previous estimates. Related Did asteroid wipe out America's first people? An asteroid may have caused the near-extinction of North America's first humans, argues a series of studies to be presented May 24, at the American Geophysical Union's meeting in Acapulco, Mexico. Nature reports that while the theory has been discounted in the past, new research suggests that an comet or asteroid could have exploded above or on the northern ice cap some 13,000 years ago, plunging regional temperatures to plunge for the next 1000 years. The theory would also help explain the disappearance of the continent's large mammals, including woolly mammoths, American lions, and the saber tooth tiger. Comments? News options
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