Afternoon in the Cretaceous
Two hungry tyrannosaurs, an adult and a teenager, are stalking a Triceratops. Two against one seems like unfavorable odds, but the Triceratops is no pushover. It boasts three sharp horns that can inflict a fatal wound on either T. rex. Suddenly, the Triceratops charges the adult T. rex, aiming for the torso. The younger T. rex quickly lunges for the Triceratops. Maybe it’s a foolish move. It risks being crushed underfoot or impaled. Who will win? Who will lose? Or will this encounter end in a stalemate?
The noise and movement have terrorized an opossum-sized mammal, Didelphodon, peeking out of a nearby burrow. It’s a nocturnal animal and this afternoon skirmish has interrupted its nap. The Didelphodon could be trampled, so it stays hidden, hoping the predators will be chased away.
Prey animals are common but not easy to catch, so Stan, the adult T. rex, and Bucky, the teenage T. rex, may go days without eating anything. In the meantime, they often fight with other tyrannosaurs over mates or territory. Broken bones, bites and claw marks are common injuries for these animals, while starvation always looms. It’s not an easy life for a top predator like T. rex.
