Tyrannosaurus rex, the terrible lizard king, was the most magnificent carnivore ever to have walked our planet. T. rex lived 68-65 million years ago during the late Cretaceous period. It was the last and biggest of over 30 different species of Tyrannosaurs that have been discovered. While there were untold numbers of T. rex creatures, only a few dozen skulls and skeletons have ever been found.

Paleontologists love skulls and teeth because they reveal so much about the diet and behavior of dinosaurs. (And they’re really cool to look at!)

Scientists estimate that T. rex weighed in at 16,000 pounds and reached 40-feet in length. Though it had dinky arms, everything else about T. rex was massive, from its three enormous, clawed, bird-like toes to its strong legs and head. Its giant jaws were packed with 60 serrated banana-sized teeth, and its skull was built to withstand the enormous forces that built up when T. rex bit through bones.

But what a beauty too: some scientists believe T. rex scales may even have displayed colors like feathers!