T. Rex Had Lizard-like Lips That Covered Its Teeth

Conjure up an image of Tyrannosaurus rex in a Hollywood blockbuster. The meat-eating dinosaur’s long, serrated teeth taper to sharp points that protrude from a gaping maw bared wide in a roar. As the predator closes those jaws around its prey, its upper teeth remain exposed in a fanged smile.

But new research is challenging these popular-culture depictions. The teeth of T. rex and its two-legged, three-toed meat-eating kin—known as theropods—were likely covered by thin, scaly lips resembling those of some modern lizards, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.