Tyrannosaurus rex vs Giganotosaurus: Battle of Kings

Tyrannosaurus rex vs Giganotosaurus is the ultimate megatheropod rivalry. After Tyrannosaurus rex fought Giganotosaurus in Jurassic World, science explains the true victor of a hypothetical fight in Tyrannosaurus rex vs Giganotosaurus: Battle of Kings. Tyrannosaurus rex size is an important factor, and this video about Tyrannosaurus rex vs Giganotosaurus includes a Tyrannosaurus rex size comparison as well as an in-depth analysis of each animal’s ecology, agility, intelligence, and experience in fighting other megatheropods. New science, including new mass estimations and biomechanical studies, reveal each competitor’s unique evolutionary abilities in this fight to the death: Tyrannosaurus vs Giganotosaurus. This is an educational scientific-reporting take on the Tyrannosaurus rex vs Giganotosaurus battle.

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STUDIES CITED

Coria, R. A.; Currie, P. J. (2002). "The braincase of Giganotosaurus carolinii (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 22 (4): 802–811. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0802:TBOGCD]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 85678725.

Ankylosaurus mass Arbour, V.M.; Mallon, J.C. (2017). "Unusual cranial and postcranial anatomy in the archetypal ankylosaur Ankylosaurus magniventris". FACETS. 2 (2): 764–794. doi:10.1139/facets-2017-0063.

Tyrannosaur interfacial biting. Brown, C., Currie, P., & Therrien, F. (2022). Intraspecific facial bite marks in tyrannosaurids provide insight into sexual maturity and evolution of bird-like intersexual display. Paleobiology, 48(1), 12-43. doi:10.1017/pab.2021.29

Thumbnail Art
Giganotosaurus: Gabriel Ugueto
Tyrannosaurus: Mark Witton
Human: Linda Salzman Sagan
South America Map: Simoes et al. 2017
North America Map: Dr. Ron Blakely

All other music by Pixabay

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[DINOSAURIA]

I think it's amazing that back in 1905, Henry Osborn decided to name this newly discovered massive theropod the name "Tyrant Lizard King" (I mean he could have named it anything else such as Cope's "Manospondylus gigas"..what the hell is giant, porous vertebra?) and here we are, more than 100 years later the name still holds, it is indeed the "Tyrant Lizard King".

[monsterfanatic]

I don't think the term *"BUILT DIFFERENT"* has ever described an animal more accurately than Tyrannosaurus Rex.

[Aquarimax]

I guess we need to assume that all other factors are equal. If T. Rex has the high ground, for example, G has no chance.

[nono]

Off topic but I love that you used Herschel-Hoffmeyer's art in this video. His paleoart shows that just a dinosaur can be accurate, doesn't mean it can't be horrifying. More terrifying than any movie depiction.

[brettwood]

The old saying, "You cut my flesh, but I break your bones" comes to mind.

[nono]

It's funny how Jurassic World Dominion's T.Rex and Giga have a completely opposite build irl.
The Giga in JW seems heavier and more dense whereas the JP/JW T.Rex is fast and impulsive.

[lead_zealot]

T. rex also had the huge advantage of binocular vision over Giga. It's wild how, in my lifetime, I've seen all these other huge megatheropods challenge T. rex, yet nothing else even comes close. It blows my mind that the more we study T. rex, we just learn more and more about how insanely adept it was as an apex predator. Leave it to Hell Creek's evolutionary arms race to produce some of the most metal dinosaurs of all time.
It's a real shame that we have so little evidence for a lot of other megatheropods. I doubt that there are any that could really match T. rex's overwhelmingly tanky and brutish power, but it'd be awesome to see how they were adapted to their own ecosystems. It's been really incredible to see just how much Spinosaurus has changed since I was a kid, here's to hoping we learn more about Giga as well! (and as a longshot maybe in the year 3000 we'll figure out what the fuck megaraptorans are)

[jinchuriki]

T.Rex is just built structurally different, its skeleton is so much wider, more robust which houses far more bulkier muscles and that results in more immense strength. Even at same weight the Rex would come out on top due to being a more physically powerful animal. I see this being similar to jaguar vs leopard, the former being more powerfully built, far stronger bite force, bulkier and generally heavier.

[tridactasaurus]

I’m very sad you didn’t also talk about the eyes of both carnivores! Papers and experiments showed that Carcharodontosarus (being an incredibly close relative to Giganotosaurus), basically had poor levels of binocular vision, while Tyrannosaurus had powerful forward facing eyes with an impressive level of binocular vision. So it makes that first strike all the more important as T-Rex would have a better probability of having a bite connect with its opponent.

[CorwinTheOneAndOnly]

The whole issue of this fight is that animals like rex are designed to kill big things NOW, while animals like giga are designed to kill big things *soon.*
This is essentially pitting an alligator against an equally sized komodo dragon. One is designed to crush your bones and skull, and one is desined to rip your blood out of your body somewhat slowly with venom and open wounds.
An actual fight to the death may end in both of them dead *eventually, * but one of will definitely win the fight first.

[studentleague]

Giganotosaurus & Tyrannosaurus Rex. 2 biggest & most powerful meat eating dinosaurs that ever walked the earth

[ozthegreater]

The fact that T.rex fought eachother regularly tells me it would win most of the time.

[iratezombiemann]

Binocular vision is another thing T rex has. It would be better at timing and landing those massive, instant game over power bites.

[kisadathegreatbear]

T.Rex is just absurdly overpowered, it's the Broly of the Dinosaur world.

[melvinshine]

As a hit-and-run sort of predator, Giganotosaurus isn't built for the sort of exchanges that T.rex likely excelled at. If a T.rex got a hold of a Giga, it's not going to let go until it either wants to or the Giga has suffered significant damage in forcing it to.

[Tyrannosaurus_rex.]

Comparison of Giganotosaurus carolinii and Tyrannosaurus rex using the most reliable specimens.

1 tonne = 1000 kilograms

"Big" means mass

Height is measured at the hip

​Tyrannosaurus rex (FHMN PR 2081 - "Sue")

Length - 12.39 meters
Height (hip) - 3.8 meters
Total height - 4.32 metrs
Weight - 10 tonnes

(RSNM P2523.8 - "Scotty" is estimated between 10, 400 to 11, 000 kg. Tyrannosaurus' build is the only theropod type that can support that much weight.)

Giganotosaurus carolinii (Mucpv-Ch1- holotype)

Length- 12.57 meters
Height (hip) - 3.5 meters
Total height - 3.76 meters
Weight - 7.8 - 8.8 tonnes

(Paratype is estimated at 9.6 tonnes but the specimen is known from an incomplete dentary. A new estimate says 10.4 tonnes but is largly unreliable due to it being from an incomplete dentary.)

Tyrannosaurus rex is the biggest theropod and by extension the biggest fully terrestrial carnivore ever to walk the Earth.

Tyrannosaurus rex was also the smartest out of all large theropods, as smart as a baboon, or even a chimpanzee:


While having impeccable eyesight better than a hawk and incredible smell, Tyrannosaurus had the strongest bite of any fully terrestrial animal ever, 6 tonnes. The bulk and amount of muscle of T. rex gives it strength and the large ilia gives Tyrannosaurus agility over G. carolinii.

T. rex wins this one.

[Betweentheraindrops]

I imagine this being like a striker vs a grappler. The striker had to move fast to get hits in...but once the grappler actually grabs the striker...bye.
I wish they portrayed that in Dominion, but instead made the Giga the heavyweight that the rex couldn’t even get near without getting taken to the ground.

[shahinarahaque]

This channel is a very informative and just makes my love for paleontology grow. You earned yourself one extra sub! Also, congratulations on 16k!

[mowabb]

Great video, I do agree with the outcome of the fight. I guess the issue is that when it comes to t-rex most people just assume it’s the best cause of its size. Which is why anytime another large predator is discovered it immediately gets touted as t-rex rival. But it seems that size and power is just the beginning of the story as to why r-rex is the king. When everything is taken into account it just blows other carnivores out the water.

What are your thoughts on the theory that Acrocanthosaurus back hump was packed with muscle like a bison or bear rather than just thin spines for display? If so could this make it the most powerful of the carcharodontids even more so then giga? Maybe a topic for a future video? Unless you’ve already talked about this.

[Aquarimax]

Excellent video! Your arguments are evidence based and solid. The humor was fun too!