"T-Rex Week" (Episode 5--the Finale)

The T-Rex drawings my youngest son did when he was very small were actually quite amazing, because in drawing--as in everything else--he was always playing "catch up" with the others. He was always trying to copy his four older brothers, who were his heroes and role models. They were good at drawing dinosaurs, and he was determined to be good at it, too. I almost chose a wonderful picture he did at age 7, but then decided on this fairly recent effort instead. It had been ages since he'd drawn a T-Rex, and at the age of 16 he sat down and did this, just to see if he still "had it." (He did!) So far this week, I haven't showcased a T-Rex "head shot," so I thought this was a good piece of artwork to use today.

Did you know that Tyrannosaurus Rex translates to mean "King of the Tyrant Lizards"? And T-Rex, a fearsome beast who ruled supreme, was indeed the undisputed king during the time it roamed the earth. Scientists who've analyzed the skulls of different species of dinosaurs have found that T-Rex actually had a large brain, at least as far as dinosaurs go. So as if size and brute strength didn't give it enough of an advantage, the T-Rex could probably outthink it's prey as well.

To end "T-Rex Week," let's recap what we know about this amazing prehistoric creature:

~T-Rex stood 15-20 feet tall, was about 40 feet long, and weighed 5-7 tons

~T-Rex could run, upright like an ostrich, about 15-20 MPH

~T-Rex chomped on its prey with a force of 1,500-3,000 lbs. and had a septic bite

~T-Rex had a head the size of a small sedan and teeth from 6-13 inches long

~T-Rex had incredible eyesight and a keen sense of smell

~T-Rex had quite a large brain (for a dinosaur), and was a cunning as well as ferocious hunter

I have really enjoyed "T-Rex Week," and I hope you have, too. It's been a great opportunity for me to show off the artistic talent of my five sons; but it's also been fun talking about T-Rex, the fascinating monster that captured their imaginations when they were little guys and moved them to create some of their most inspired works of art.