Saury, how long?? Scientist reveal T.rex's epic childhood

Have you ever wondered how long it took for the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex to reach it's full size?

Well, now scientists think they might have worked out the answer!

Dr Holly Ballard and her team at Oklahoma State University studied leg bones from 17 different T.rex fossils to get a better idea of how they grew.

They discovered that it might have taken around 35-40 years for a T.rex to reach full size.

The team's research is one of biggest studies into T. rex growth.

Previous studies from 20 years ago suggested that T.rex reached their maximum weight of eight tonnes over approximately two decades and that they probably only lived until they were around 30 years old.

However, these studies were based on the fossils of seven T.rex - the only fossils available at that time.

The team of scientists studied the thigh and shin bones of 17 different T.rex, from a variety of sizes and ages, to help get a more accurate result.

They looked closely at the growth rings in the bones, similar to those you can find in a tree, which help to indicate age.

The study revealed that T.rex grew more slowly than previously thought, but the team say they weren't able to figure out the maximum age of a T. rex, because once the creatures reached full-size they stopped having growth rings.

"We can say the most successful T. rex lived to about 40, but there were very few that made it to that age – only two specimens in our sample had reached adult size," said Dr Ballard.