This fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. Rex) is the mascot of Boston’s Museum of Science. He (or she) can be seen as you enter the museum and enticed my son down two stories to the dinosaur exhibit. I mean, who can resist a life-size T. Rex?
I told my son that scientists have no idea what the skin color of the T. Rex actually was. There are no records of it so it’s their best guess. They most likely had some kind of coloring to blend in to help them hunt, but your guess is as good as mine as to pattern and color!
When your child thinks of dinosaurs, does it seem that the T. Rex is the only dinosaur that matters? Are all others a distant second? My son is that way.
But … recent discoveries have unearthed relatives even larger and more fierce than the T. Rex! Meet … the Giganotosaurus! (Even though my son has read about the Giganotosaurus, T. Rex is still his favorite. The T. Rex has the best PR machine in town, it seems!).
The Tyrannosaurus Rex’s head shape is very different from its cousin, the Giganotosaurus. My son thought the T. Rex’s head resembled our dog’s, a Golden Retriever.
The Giganotosaurus would never have competed with the T. Rex. The G-Dino (trying to market it) is older and lives on a different continent. But if they went toe to toe, I think the Giganotosaurus would have the advantage with a bigger brain and more brawn. Who’s to say though?
Who do you think would win if the T. Rex faced off with the Giganotosaurus?
Our Favorite Dinosaur T. Rex Books
When my son was three years old, he was obsessed with dinosaurs. I read dinosaurs every night for one entire year. Eventually, I bought every dinosaur book I could get my hands on, I was so desperate for variety as the primary bedtime reader. I have a book list of our favorite dinosaur books — eventually, we switched to Pokémon. I missed those dinosaur books then!
Bigger Than T. Rex by Don Lessem
Need to know more about the dinosaur that might be able to take down the T. Rex? Then, this is the book for you! [picture book, ages 8 and up]
The Dinosaur Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
Pallotta’s alphabet books do a wonderful job of entertaining both children and adults. The alphabet A to Z is a helpful organization for the interesting facts that Pallotta packs in. His books read like very entertaining non-fiction in the guise of an alphabet book! [picture book, ages 3 and up]
Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up by Robert Sabuda
We love Sabuda’s amazing popup Prehistorica pop-up books! My husband found the first one at a museum gift shop and collected the lot of them. He cleverly packs an encyclopedia’s worth of information in foldouts and pop-ups. There is so much information that reading this book feels like a new experience each time. [pop-up book, ages 5 and up]
In 1991, Dr. Kirkland was part of a team hunting for dinosaur fossils in Utah. While they were digging up one skeleton, a worker found a giant claw. “It was the largest I had ever seen, “Dr. Kirkland told SN. The claw belonged to a new kind of dinosaur. They named it Utahraptor (YEW-tah-RAP-ter). From Scholastic.
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T-Rex won when somebody figured out how to shorten the name so that any kid could pronounce it!
This is a fun post – my kids love that dinosaur at the Museum of Science!
Thanks MaryAnne,
Yes, it’s all about branding and marketing! T. Rex is definitely easy to remember with great brand identity!!
I think G-Dino would win. As would the Megladon shark 🙂
Hi Erik,
I think you are right! What about G-Dino versus Megladon shark assuming the shark can fight on land? Or the G-Dino is effective in the water?
I think G-Dino would win because he would let out a ferocious roar and Godzilla would come to G-Dino’s aid and blast the shark with her super laser breath! 😀
Hi Erik,
I really like how you are giving the Gigantosaurus a cool name, G-Dino, which will help it compete against the more well known T-Rex! This rebranding should help its popularity! And I like your scenario too! Godzilla! Yes! He’d come to his aid!
This post brings back old memories. I will never forget walking into the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan and seeing that giant T rex skeleton. Who cannot be impressed? I don’t really care if T rex or Giganotosaurus wins!
Hi Barbara,
I know what you mean. You do feel really tiny next to a T Rex model that is to scale. Those dinos were HUGE! My son is watching Jurassic Park right now. The trip to see the dinos seems to have refueled his interest in prehistoric creatures!
I’ve never heard of G-Dino, thanks for the info!
Hi Catherine,
Can you imagine a bigger and fiercer dino than the T. Rex? I wonder if scientists will discover a new one bigger than the Gigantosaurus!
So true that T-Rex is tops. The shortened name I am sure helped. Dino names always trip me up. I have to bring my kids before the summers over.
Hi Ann,
I had such a hard time figuring out how to same them too! My son spent a year wanting to read nothing but dino books. The ABC one by Jerry Pallota had a pronunciaiton guide, I think. One of the books did but I still struggled! His preschool teacher seems to know all the names. They do a dino unit every year and she’s been doing it for decades. I realized I had been saying some of them all wrong that day I was the parent volunteer LOL!