The world's most famous dinosaur, Tyrannosaurus rex, could not move at high speed because its legs would have broken, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Manchester say the sheer size of T-Rrex meant its leg bones would have buckled under its own weight load so it was effectively restricted to walking.
The test results contradict the running speeds predicted by previous biomechanical models which can suggest anything up to 70km/h, they added.
The study looked extensively into the gait and biomechanics of T-Rrex and used high-performance computing technology to create a new simulation model to test its findings.
Led by Professor William Sellers from the university's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, the researchers combined two separate biomechanical techniques, known as multi-body dynamic analysis (MBDA) and skeletal stress analysis (SSA), into one simulation model which they said was more accurate.
"The running ability of T-Rex and other similarly giant dinosaurs has been intensely debated amongst palaeontologist for decades," Prof Sellers said.
"However, different studies using differing methodologies have produced a very wide range of top speed estimates and we say there is a need to develop techniques that can improve these predictions.
"Here we present a new approach that combines two separate biomechanical techniques to demonstrate that true running gaits would probably lead to unacceptably high skeletal loads in T-Rex.'
"Being limited to walking speeds contradicts arguments of high-speed pursuit predation for the largest bipedal dinosaurs like T-Rex and demonstrates the power of multi-physics approaches for locomotor reconstructions of extinct animals."
The findings also meant running at high speeds was probably highly unlikely for other large two-legged dinosaurs such as Giganotosaurus, Mapusaurus, and Acrocanthosaurus, he said.
"Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the largest bipedal animals to have ever evolved and walked the earth. So it represents a useful model for understanding the biomechanics of other similar animals," Prof Sellers said.
"Our previous simulations of theropod bipedal running did not directly consider the skeletal loading but these new simulations do calculate all the forces in the limb bones and these can be used directly to estimate the bone loading on impact."
He said more examination was needed into the effects of how the size and shape of large bipedal dinosaurs alters as they grow with previous studies suggesting the torso became longer and heavier whereas the limbs became proportionately shorter and lighter.
"It would be very valuable not only to investigate the gait of other species but also apply our multi-physics approach to different growth stages within that species."
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