How Many Tyrannosaurus Rexes Ever Lived?

Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the most iconic dinosaurs, and for good reason. This massive carnivore was the apex predator of its time, and its remains are some of the most common dinosaur fossils found. But how many Tyrannosaurus rexes actually lived?

A new study suggests that the answer is 1.7 billion. This is significantly lower than previous estimates, which put the number at around 2.5 billion.

The study, published in the journal Science, was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley. The researchers used a variety of factors to estimate the Tyrannosaurus rex population, including the animal's body size, lifespan, and geographic range.

They found that the average Tyrannosaurus rex lived for about 20 years and had a population density of one individual per 100 square kilometers. Based on these estimates, the researchers calculated that there were 1.7 billion Tyrannosaurus rexes alive at any given time.

The lower number of Tyrannosaurus rexes found in this study is due to a number of factors. First, the researchers used a more conservative estimate of the animal's lifespan. Second, they took into account the fact that Tyrannosaurus rexes were not evenly distributed throughout their range. Instead, they were concentrated in certain areas, such as river valleys.

Even though there were 1.7 billion Tyrannosaurus rexes alive at any given time, the number of fossils that have been found is very small. This is because the vast majority of Tyrannosaurus rexes died and were buried in places where their bones were not preserved.

The study estimates that only 0.0000002% of all Tyrannosaurus rexes that ever lived have been found as fossils. This means that the vast majority of these dinosaurs are still waiting to be discovered.