The study found that the sharp teeth of the T-Rex were covered by the lips

If Jurassic Park And most of the game makers showing Tyrannosaurus Rex fangs were imitators? A study published Thursday shows that these famous dinosaurs likely had lips that covered their teeth.

Unresolved question

“Animals like the T-Rex and other theropod dinosaurs most likely had some type of lips, the soft tissue covering their mouths to protect their teeth.“, explains to AFP Thomas Cullen, one of the authors of this study published in the journal science.

“This is a change from many assumptions until now, in which they looked like crocodiles, with teeth showing when their mouth was closed and no lips.Adds a professor of paleobiology at Auburn University in Alabama, in the southern United States. If the question isn’t completely settled, the researchers studied a group of theropod dinosaurs from several museums to come to this new conclusion.

teeth pain

For example, they compared the erosion of the enamel of the teeth of dinosaurs and crocodiles, the closest living animals to theropods. tooth enamelHe must stay hydrated to stay healthyThomas Cullen details.If exposed to air for too long, they become crumbly and more prone to cracking or disease“.

According to paleobiology, the enamel of the outer part of living crocodile teeth wears out faster than the inner part because they do not have lips. “When we looked at the thickness of the enamel on the inside and outside of the teeth of large dinosaurs, they didn’t show this kind of crocodile-like formation.He continued.It has a shape closer to animals with lipssays Thomas Cullen.Their enamel thickness is the same on the outer and inner sides“.

Theropods derailed

The researchers also wanted to see if the teeth of the T-Rex might have been too large for their mouths, and to compare them to many modern lizards with lips. “Some lizards today have very large teethThomas Cullen noted.It seems almost unbelievable that these teeth could be completely covered by the lips and yet they are.“.”And we found out (…) This scale ratio is nearly identical to that of theropod dinosaurs“.

What are the consequences of the representation of these famous predators in popular culture? If thomas cullen realized that movies Jurassic Park They succeed to stick to what was known about dinosaurson timetrying to represent theropods in a waysincere“completely”has been derailed since thenAccording to him.