--- description: Researchers found that the saw-like internal tooth structure of carnivorous dinosaurs was important in their success as predators. title: Scientists discover secret to T. Rex's deadly teeth. image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5a489bb1202c30e1/69885d1b5f570f54a8b1cad3/t-rex.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [animals](/tag/animals/) ## animals Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Researchers Have Discovered What Made T. Rex Teeth So Deadly ## Video: Why Plant-Eating Dinos Might Have Avoided The Equator [Watch (HLS stream): Why Plant-Eating Dinos Might Have Avoided The Equator](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/IxMjFM9L.m3u8) (1:31)  _Published 2015-06-16. We've known that herbivorous dinosaurs avoided tropical areas during the Triassic Period, but no one knew why. A new study has an answer._ by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 29, 2015 8:45 PM CUT  A Tyrannosaurus Rex eats the carrion of a dead Triceratops in prehistoric wetlands. A Tyrannosaurus Rex eats the carrion of a dead Triceratops in prehistoric wetlands.Getty Images by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 29, 2015 8:45 PM CUT Though notoriously short-armed, the T. Rex had other genetic advantages: namely, its teeth. Researchers have found that the saw-like internal tooth structure of carnivorous dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex may have played an important role in their success as predators. In the study [published in Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/articles/srep12338 "undefined"), researchers discovered that the teeth of meat-eating Theropod dinosaurs featured specially layered arrangements of dentine, a hardened tissue which helped not only strengthen the tooth, but also to enlarge the tooth’s jagged edges. This tooth structure allowed them to develop a “hypercarnivorous feeding style,” the study says, with the ability to crush bones and feed on other large animals. When teeth were worn out or lost, these dinosaurs were able to grow new teeth to replace them. Growing new teeth could take up to two years, however, which is why these dinosaurs needed a tooth structure strong enough to last – and to keep up that meaty diet. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3977490/tyrannosaurus-rex-trex-dinosaur-teeth/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3977490/tyrannosaurus-rex-trex-dinosaur-teeth/"},"headline":"Researchers Have Discovered What Made T. 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