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It turns out that the stubby arms on the Tyrannosaurus rex may have been quite useful.
Researchers studying the gigantic predator believe they have determined the function of the tiny arms, which resembles the limbs of some modern animals and the domestic turkey and the American alligator. ace Live Science reported, two researchers studied the modern relative of the T-Rex and found that the little limbs may actually have served a purpose.
The co-researchers, Christopher Langel and Matthew Bonnan from Stockon University in New Jersey, determined that the T-Rex could rotate its arm inward and upward so the palm could face the chest. This range of motion meant the arms was able to function effectively.
"We could speculate that such a movement (rotating the forearm and hand in towards the chest)" Live Science.
If true, then the arms may have been key in the evolution of the T-Rex and given it an advantage over other predators.
This is the first team to attempt to determine what the T-Rex's tiny arms could have served. Last year, a paleontologist from the University of Hawaii suggests that they could have aided the dinosaur in killing its prey. ace Time reported, Steven Stanley posited that the ultra-sharp claws helped the dinosaur slash deep into the flesh of its prey while it was hunting. Much like the heels of the modern hunting birds, these claws could have helped kill smaller animals.
"Its short, strong forelimbs and large claws would have permitted T. rex, if it is mounted on a victim's backside [three feet] or more long and several centimeters [more than an inch] deep within a few seconds, "said Stanley. "And it could have repeated this multiple times in rapid succession."
As the report noted, there have been two other things to do with their small arms, with some theorizing that they were used to help the dinosaur stabilize and stand up after falling over and others believing they were used to grip a mate during mating.
The T Rex's tiny baby arms might have been more useful than they seem https://t.co/8udhfHaRiP pic.twitter.com/VsAzeiXBNa
– BGR.com (@BGR) October 19, 2018
The researchers from Stockton University say it's still more work to do to figure out exactly how the T-Rex used its stubby little arms, and to test the shape of its forelimb bones and compare them to alligators and turkeys.
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