Scientists explain short dinosaur arms - 1st June 2026

Scientists have new ideas about Tyrannosaurus rex. This dinosaur had very small arms. The scientists studied its head and arms. They learned more information about them.

T. rex lived 68 to 66 million years ago. This dinosaur was 13 metres long. It was 4 metres tall. But its arms were a lot smaller than its body.

Nobody knows why T. rex had small arms. Did they use them for eating? Were they for finding a partner?

Scientists from Cambridge and London worked together. They studied 85 different types of dinosaur. These dinosaurs all ate meat. They came from 5 different groups.

The dinosaurs with small arms had big, strong heads. They used their heads to kill big animals. They didn't need their arms for this.

These dinosaurs' heads grew bigger. Their arms got smaller. But what were their arms for? Why did they keep them? Scientists hope to find out this information soon.

Interactive Games

tried

What's the word you hear?

Complete the sentences. Listen and write the missing word. There are up to 10 questions.

Listening
play game
tried

Sentence muddle

Read the sentences. Put them in the same order as the news report. There are 4 sentences.

Reading
play game
tried

Construct sentences

Make sentences. Select each word in the correct order. There are up to 3 questions.

Writing
play game
tried

What's the phrase you hear?

Complete the sentences. Listen and write the missing phrase. There are up to 5 questions.

Listening
play game
tried

No spaces in text

Read the sentences. Find the spaces between the words. There are up to 5 questions.

Reading
play game
tried

No capital letters

Read the sentences. Find the missing capital letters. There are 5 sentences.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Put the sentence back together

Put the sentence parts in the correct order. Each sentence is in 4 pieces. There are up to 5 questions.

Reading
play game
tried

Spelling jumble

The letters of one word are in the wrong order. Read the sentence. Spell the word correctly. There are up to 10 questions.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Missing vowels

Complete the sentences. Select the correct vowel for each space. There are up to 5 sentences.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Missing words

Complete the sentences. Select the correct word. There are up to 5 questions.

Writing
play game
tried

Adjectives

Read the sentence. Select the missing word. Check your answer.

Vocabulary
play game
tried

Prepositions

Complete the sentences. Select the correct preposition. There are up to 5 questions.

Vocabulary
play game
tried

Nouns

Complete the sentences. Select the correct noun. There are up to 5 questions.

Vocabulary
play game
tried

Verbs

Complete the sentences. Select the correct verb. There are up to 5 questions.

Vocabulary
play game
tried

Linking ideas

Complete the sentences. Select the correct linking word. There are up to 5 questions.

Vocabulary
play game

Study Tools