Dinosaurs

How did Tyrannosaurus rex use its arms?

By Emily Osterloff

We often joke about Tyrannosaurus arms.

No one knows exactly how these mighty dinosaurs used their surprisingly little limbs, although there are plenty of theories.

Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the most famous dinosaurs. This theropod lived 68–66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous Period.

The fearsome, 12-metre-long carnivore had a jaw filled with 60 teeth, each up to 20 centimetres long. Its bite was three times more powerful than that of a lion, allowing it to easily crunch through bone.

But one part of T. rex anatomy doesn’t seem so frightful. This dinosaur had arms that were around one metre long – tiny when compared to the size of its body.

How T. rex used its small arms has long puzzled palaeontologists and the public. In the video above, our scientist Kieran Miles explains some current theories.

More about small-limbed dinosaurs

Kieran explains more about small-limbed dinosaurs:

Find out what Museum scientists are revealing about how dinosaurs looked, lived and behaved.

Just how weird can the natural world be?

Receive email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. We may occasionally include third-party content from our corporate partners and other museums. We will not share your personal details with these third parties. You must be over the age of 13. Privacy notice.