T. Rex vs Spinosaurus: Who was the true king of the dinosaurs?

One question dinosaur lovers have asked for years is what would happen if Tyrannosaurus rex and Spinosaurus ever met in battle. While Hollywood and computer games have always shown the two fighting, science offers a much more fascinating conclusion.

Each dinosaur was one of the biggest and fiercest meat eaters to exist. However, each was very different in size and structure, and they lived in totally different habitats.

Tyrannosaurus rex, or better known as T. rex, roamed Earth around 68 to 66 million years ago. One of the most fearsome land predators to live, this animal could grow as long as 40 feet and weigh a staggering 9 tons. The most impressive feature of T. rex was undoubtedly its skull, which had bone-crushing jaws.

(Photos from Shutterstock)

The tyrannosaurus rex, commonly referred to as the T. rex, roamed around North America between 68 and 66 million years ago. It is considered one of the strongest predators ever to walk the earth. It is estimated to have reached lengths of up to 40 feet and weighed close to 9 tons. Spinosaurus roamed the earth during the Cretaceous period, specifically from 99 to 93 million years ago. It inhabited North Africa, where it is believed to have grown to about 50 feet in length. It was distinguished by its large dorsal sail and its crocodilian snout.

Tyrannosaurus Rex clearly wins when it comes to bite force. It was estimated to have a bite force that ranked among the highest of any creature ever on earth, allowing it to easily crush bones.

Unlike T. rex, Spinosaurus had a narrower jaw full of conical teeth, which were used to grab slippery prey such as fish. This dinosaur certainly had a strong bite but not one intended to crush bones.
In an attack, Tyrannosaurus Rex would easily come out on top with just one bite.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex was designed to move around on land. It has very powerful muscle legs and very good balance, because of its heavy tail. Though the dinosaur was not extremely fast, it was definitely faster and more balanced when moving on land than the Spinosaurus.
As for the latter, according to modern researches, this dinosaur could spend much time moving and hunting in rivers. It is possible that Spinosaurus was less effective in moving on land.
Thus, when moving around on land, the Tyrannosaurus Rex had obvious advantages.

Most scientists agree that T. rex possessed sharp sensory abilities such as good eyesight and a highly developed sense of smell. This dinosaur could have been both a hunter and a scavenger.
On the other hand, Spinosaurus was unique in how it hunted. In this way, Spinosaurus resembled an oversized crocodile that sat by the water to hunt fish and other aquatic creatures. It is clear that these two species did not engage in battles since they were specialized for different things.

In terms of size, Spinosaurus was actually larger than T. rex. However, being larger does not equate to strength in any way. T. rex possessed powerful and massive muscles to take down large prey. Spinosaurus looked frightening due to the presence of its sails and its elongated body.

The general consensus on land is that T. rex will likely come out on top due to the strength of its bite, its heavy mass, and greater mobility.
When it comes to underwater combat, or in swamps, then Spinosaurus might take the edge due to its swimming skills. Generally speaking, in a direct one-on-one battle on land, the more deadly hunter would be T. rex. However, there’s no denying that Spinosaurus is still one of the most peculiar and interesting dinosaurs to have ever walked the earth.