Research from the University of Alberta (Canada) reveals that the carnivorous dinosaur known as Carnotaurus , which lived in South America, was a much more deadly species than previously believed . According to the authors, it was a seven-meter-long predator with a very large and muscular tail that made it one of the fastest hunters of its time .
A detailed examination of the tail bones showed that its caudofemoral muscle had a tendon that was attached to the thigh bones that allowed it to move the leg backward giving the animal more power and speed with each step.
Until now, many paleontologists believed that the enormous tail of the Tyrannosaurus rex was simply a counterweight to its large head. However, researcher Scott Persons has found that, along the tail, Carnotaurus had bones similar to pairs of ribs that were intertwined with each other. Through 3D animations, Persons recreated the muscles of the tail and discovered that those ribs were the support of a large caudofemoral muscle. However, the strength and speed of the Carnotaurus manifested only in a straight line, since the structure of the bones gave the tail a lot of rigidity, which would make it difficult to make turns with speed .
