Chapter 494

Chapter 494: How Many Classmates Thought Tyrannosaurus Rex Couldn’t Beat Ankylosaurs?

"Armored creatures…"

"Hmm, they weren’t as formidable as people imagined."

Thanks to the BBC documentary "Walking with Dinosaurs," nearly every classmate who watched it believed ankylosaurs outmatched Tyrannosaurus Rex.

So fierce!

Not only could T. rex not penetrate its full-body armor, but a single tail-hammer strike supposedly shattered Tyrannosaurus’s leg.

In the end, T. rex even died from severe injuries.

Meanwhile, the ankylosaur walked away unscathed.

This classic case of building up one creature while tearing down another created serious scientific misconceptions and harmful effects.

Back then, the young Trilobite was thoroughly brainwashed by this portrayal after watching "Walking with Dinosaurs," convinced ankylosaurs were invincible and T. rex avoided them.

Only when he studied paleontology did he realize how wildly the BBC had exaggerated.

He even suspected the director ignored proper research, filming purely on assumptions.

First, the documentary’s ankylosaurs were oversized—nearly 10 meters long and 7 tons. Current estimates place the largest ankylosaurs at just 7 meters and 3 tons. They’re no match for adult T. rex, which started at 6 tons.

Average ankylosaurs were even smaller, barely larger than modern rhinos.

With gear like that, how could they challenge the "King of Dinosaurs"?

But overhyping was typical for "Walking with Dinosaurs," so no surprise there.

Crucially, the film also amplified the tail hammer’s power.

Ankylosaurs weren’t just small—their weapons proved weak against large dinosaurs.

Their tails couldn’t swing widely, so striking force remained limited.

While a hit would hurt an adult T. rex, serious injury was pure nonsense.

More likely, the enraged rex would decapitate the ankylosaur instantly.

Moreover, Hell Creek Formation ankylosaurs coexisting with T. rex had poor defense.

Despite their armored appearance, ankylosaur subfamily members had thin armor plates—most barely 1mm thick.

That meager thickness wouldn’t stand a chance against T. rex’s teeth.

In contrast, nodosaurids (lacking tail hammers) had thicker bone fragments.

Some species boasted 5-8mm thick plates, making them true "meat tanks."

Truthfully, ankylosaur armor and tail hammers weren’t meant for T. rex—they evolved against Dakota Raptor, Nanotyrannus, and other medium predators.

Ankylosaurs had just two defenses against top predators like T. rex: fleeing and being unappetizing.

Their armor raised Tyrannosaurus’s hunting costs, but T. rex fearlessly hunted higher-cost triceratops. Ankylosaur gear paled in comparison.

More crucially, ankylosaurs offered less meat and occupied marginal ecological niches.

T. rex would rather hunt abundant triceratops than waste time digging ankylosaurs out of hiding.

Even if determined, catching one proved challenging.

The ankylosaurs had very developed hearing, especially with their strong capability to recognize low-frequency sound waves; this allowed them to detect the footsteps and deep roars of Tyrannosaurus Rex from a great distance, enabling them to avoid trouble ahead of time.

So, ankylosaurs were smart enough to know who to avoid and who shouldn’t be messed with.

Unlike these…

“Chain Crocodile!”

“This fellow traveled the same route, increasing hunting costs.”

“However…”

The largest chain crocodiles were five meters long and 1.5 meters tall; compared to large carnivorous dinosaurs, they were short and small. During the Triassic period, they often fell prey to postosuchus.

Beautiful Nodosaurus, being superior to postosuchus, should have no trouble dealing with them.

Moreover, they did not have a tail hammer like the ankylosaurs; although they extended two enormous “spiked bones” similar to those of nodosaurids near their shoulders, they must have been quite clumsy in movement.

They had no chance of launching any attack with those.

Additionally, the “armor rate” of chain crocodiles was nowhere near that of ankylosaurs or nodosaurids; their skin had few large bone fragments like those of ankylosaurs, making their defensive strength quite limited.

Not to mention…

“Hunting is one thing, but killing wild boars that trample through the vegetable garden is another matter!”

“Today, I’m going to kill a chicken to warn the monkeys!”

“Roar—!”

Trilobite charged through the gap in the "hedge" with great presence!

—-

“Ah!?”

The “Vast Dragon Gods – Armored Type” that had just mocked Miss Themis were stunned.

But they had no time to react, for as they turned…

“Thud… Thud… Thud…”

Large, powerful claws shook the earth.

A terrifying “colossal creature” larger than all of them was charging toward them!

“Buzz—!”

An overwhelming murderous intent and pressure suddenly crashed down, making it hard for them to lift their heads!

The sudden attack, combined with their fearsome appearance, sparked primal terror in the “Vast Dragon Gods.”

“Uh—!”

“Ah!”

The Vast Dragon God group erupted in chaos; they roared in panic and sprinted away.

They were like deer chased by tigers, instinctively running for their lives and completely forgetting about the sharp “spikes” on their shoulders!

However, wanting to run away was no easy feat then.

They discovered that this group had fallen into a “dead end!”

Surrounding them was the "Holy Tree Hedge," encircled by Holy Trees.

Their root systems were firmly anchored in the deep Primal Mud below, intertwined and twisted together; although the Holy Trees were merely branches, they were strong and resilient.

While the Vast Dragon Gods could try to ram into it with their powerful Divine Bodies, none dared to break through the Holy Tree Hedge before the furious fangs of the Giant God could pierce them.

Still, theoretically, there was a way out.

For example…

“Buzz—!”

The Vast Dragon God closest to the Giant God suddenly swung its tail, smashing it down on one of its companions—the poor fellow nearest to the Giant God.

The Vast Dragon God understood a simple truth—it didn’t need to run faster than the predator, just faster than the companions!

Since the group was a temporary mix of scattered individuals, there was little emotion involved.

If that raging Giant God truly wanted to betray the so-called “companions,” using their flesh and blood to delay the predator was the most practical plan.

“Roar—!”

The Vast Dragon God let out a thunderous scream.

It tilted to the side and fell to the ground.

Actually, getting hit by a tail didn’t hurt much, and as long as it didn’t break bones in the fall, it wasn’t a big problem.

But that tail knocked it straight into the abyss of despair!

“Ah—Woo—!”

The furious Giant God charged toward it, aimed for its neck, and lowered his head to bite!

“Pshhh—!”

“Uh…”

Blood sprayed everywhere as the fallen Vast Dragon God let out a raspy “ugh,” like deflating air; its limbs struggled, kicking and flailing.

But the outcome was set.

Its neck had been torn apart by the terrifying saber teeth.

The Giant God finished this in less than a second and didn’t stop like the traitor had hoped.

“Roar—Ah—!”

Trilobite roared as he lunged forward, level with the Chain Crocodile that had betrayed its companion.

Though there’s a saying that “two legs can’t outrun four legs,” for lizard-like creatures, two legs still ran faster.

“Ah—Woo—!”

Trilobite bit again, clamping hard on the Chain Crocodile’s head and slamming it into the ground.

With a powerful shake of his neck,

“Crack—!”

The sound of a broken neck bone echoed clearly.

The Chain Crocodile’s body went limp instantly.

But Trilobite wasn’t satisfied.

He wanted to make an example of him!

“Roar—!”

His massive paw stomped hard on the Chain Crocodile’s body, while his strong jaws clamped tight on its head.

Then, he shook his head violently and ripped it apart!

“Hiss—!”

A bloody head hung in Trilobite’s jaws.

“Thud—!”

He dropped the head and kept chasing forward!

Trilobite planned to eat meat.

But for those Chain Crocodiles causing trouble in his “conservation areas,” he would leave not a single one alive!