Several hypotheses have been put forward about the origin of the small, short front legs of the giant dinosaur T. Rex. Ideas have been flowing since the first fossils were discovered in 1900, but none have been as well established as this one.
Kevin Badian, professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley, made a wonderful statement in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. According to him, the little limbs became too short to avoid bite marks when eating.
There is strong evidence that T. Rexen hunted together. If the prey is captured, the carcass is eaten very violently. Heads clapping against each other, threats and powerful blows are dealt to close competitors. So to prevent leg injuries that could lead to bleeding, infection, shock and possibly death, it was helpful to have short front legs.
This evolutionary process can still be seen to this day in Komodo dragons and crocodiles in Indonesia. Just like the T. Rex, these animals have strong, sharp teeth. They wisely keep the front legs out of the danger zone, but their limbs still have to withstand quite a bit of optics.
Sources): Norwegian Refugee Council
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