Tyr. Rex's tiny arms may have been useful

[The Caspian Hare]

https://www.foxnews.com/science/t-rexs-puny-arms-were-useful-after-all

Quote

 

In essence, "they may have been able to rotate the palm of the hand inward and upward in such a way that the palm would face the chest when the elbow was flexed," study co-researchers Christopher Langel, an undergraduate student of geology, and Matthew Bonnan, a professor of biology, who are both at Stockton University in New Jersey, told Live Science. [Photos: Newfound Dinosaur Had Tiny Arms, Just Like T. Rex]

This adds to the popular saying that "T. rex was a clapper not a slapper," in the way that it held its hands. In other words, the dinosaur likely kept its hands in a clapping position (palms facing inward) rather than a slapping stance (palms facing downward). But the dinosaur king wasn't limited to clapping: the new research suggests T. rex and other theropods could turn their palms inward and upward if they so desired.

As for why this would be advantageous, it's hard to say for certain without seeing a ferocious, nonavian theropod in action, the researchers said. "But we might speculate that such a movement (rotating the forearm and hand in toward the chest) could allow some theropods to bring prey in close for a bite,"Langel and Bonnan told Live Science in an email.

In fact, the next step of the scientists' research may shed light on this question. The team plans to examine the shapes of the forelimb bones in the theropod Allosaurus and compare them with those of alligators and turkeys "to help us narrow down whether this could actually occur in a theropod dinosaur," said Langel and Bonnan.

 

 

[RoofGardener]

Well, that's as may be. 

However, the fact remains that it couldn't pick its own nose, and was therefore - as a species - doomed to extinction !

[Piney]

1 hour ago, RoofGardener said:

However, the fact remains that it couldn't pick its own nose, and was therefore - as a species - doomed to extinction !

It couldn't scratch it's own ass and went extinct from a pin worm outbreak.