Tyrannosaurus rex might instill fear in the hearts of many - weaker dinosaurs, creationists, Jeff Goldblum - but apparently when it comes to sex, T. rex was a gentle lover. Scientists now believe that after terrorizing its fellow beasts of the Cretaceous period, the king of dinosaurs would come home and tenderly nuzzle the snout of his lover. Aww. Did this love-making T. rex also treat his lady to a nice foot rub and a bottle of chardonnay? Science has not yet proven this theory.
There are plenty of things we used to think about dinosaurs that turned out to be completely wrong. Could T. rex's vicious reputation be one of them? Probably not. But take solace in the fact that when it came to the ladiez, T. rex was a true gentlemen. Triceratops? Not so much.
T. Rex Was A Gentle Lover Apparently,
Animals - Like Crocodiles - Do This Too
Animals using their faces to nuzzle their lover (or family) is an extremely common thing. Cats, for one, will nuzzle you to show affection. Dogs are known to do this too; heck, even humans bump their faces for fun.
But the animals most similar to the T. rex in this behavior are alligators and crocodiles. In fact, the crocodile jaw is more sensitive than the human finger. So if you ever find yourself getting your leg gnawed off by a mean ol' croc, just remember, all he wants is to feel your gentle touch.
Honestly, How Did Scientists Even Figure This Out?
You're probably asking yourself - how did scientists figure out that T. rex's were tender when making the love? And that's truly a great question. Paleontologists working in Montana found some new fossils, which allowed them to determine that T. rex's snout was as sensitive as human finger tips. Basically they found lots and lots of nerve endings in the snout - similar in construction to human fingertips - implying that the face acted as a sort of third hand.
And, making a science-based, educated guess, researchers believe T. rex - much like crocodiles, a dinosaur ancestor - used their heads to experience stimulation. Consider nosing around sort of like dinosaur foreplay. Kinky!
So How Does T. Rex Do It Anyway?
In case you were curious, T. rex actually has a really complicated sex life. When two massive creatures with sharp claws and terrifying teeth try to mate, it's easy to see it could come with its own, well, roadblocks.
Dinosaurs actually had sex much like modern dogs do now. The female T. rex would lie down and let the male climb on top, grabbing her shoulders and twisting his tail under hers. After plenty of gentle snouting, of course. How romantic.