The Tyrannosaurus Rex is known for having small arms. Approximately 3 feet long on a 42 foot overall length adult would seem very small. A recent study presented on Live Science Reports from a meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology where they examined T-Rexes arms and how they would have functioned. This has been a hotly debated topic for many, many years. Some believed they did not do much of anything. Others suspect that the tiny arms flailed wildly with their sharp claws seriously injuring prey or foes.
Let’s do some math. Calvin the larger Green T-Rex above is roughly 8 feet long (96 inches). His arms are 11 inches long not including the claws. An adult T-Rex is 42 feet long with 3 foot arms. The ratio 3/42 = .0714. Using this ratio on Calvin 96 x .0714 = 6.857 rounding to 7 inches. As small as the artist made these arms, they are 4 inches longer than that of a living T-Rex the same as Calvin’s overall length. That’s almost half the size the arms are now! Wow that is tiny!
The latest research focused on determining the range of motion of the arms in an effort to suggested how they were used. They studied the limbs of two distant modern relatives, the alligator and turkey for some clues. The results are the T-Rex could have turned its hands inward if it wanted and it may have used its arms to hold prey in place or pull it closer. The concept is that the T-Rex knew its jaws were its most potent weapon therefore it used its arms to keep prey at the perfect biting distance.
Now back to Dominic’s Progress!
I added purple around Dominic’s eyes. It makes for a scary mask. Turquoise made nice highlights on the purple. Spraying the paint into the cap and using artist brushes was the method used for applying the purple and turquoise. Clear Gloss will provide a final protective coating. I will use the brush on Clear Coat for Dominic. Before I clear coat, I will let all the paint cure for a couple of days. This will also allow time to evaluate whether or not I wish to make any additional adjustments/accents. After Clear Coating the eyes will be returned using clear silicone glue. Then it will be time to return Dominic to Tyrannosaurus Terrace.
Ms. Berrington read “The Dinosaurs’ Night Before Christmas” by Anne Muecke to her Kindergarten Class at Mountain Vista Elementary in Fillmore, California. They loved the book and the Dinosaur Christmas Songs on the included CD. The CD also includes a narrative of the story by Al Roker. Based on their recommendation I ordered the book on Amazon. A portion of the purchase price goes to The American Museum of Natural History in New York. It’s a Wonderful Book for any Age and supports the Museum’s scientific and educational endeavors. Thanks again “WildCats”!
“Encouraging the Appreciation of Art and Education through the Inspiration of Dinosaurs”
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
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