A closer look
Tyrannosaurus rex vocalizations likely sounded nothing like the terrifying, earth-shaking roars made famous by blockbuster Hollywood dinosaur films, according to modern paleontological studies comparing their anatomy to birds. Because dinosaurs are the direct ancestors of modern avians and crocodiles, scientists believe the apex predator probably produced closed-mouth vocalizations, resulting in low-frequency rumbles, hisses, or deep cooing noises. The idea of a six-ton prehistoric killing machine stalking its prey through the dense Cretaceous jungle while emitting the exact same guttural cooing sound as a city pigeon looking for breadcrumbs is profoundly hilarious. It completely ruins the majestic horror of the dinosaur, replacing the nightmare fuel of a roaring monster with a giant, scaly bird doing its best impression of a broken tuba. Honestly, a low-frequency, bass-heavy rumble that vibrates your internal organs is arguably more terrifying than a cinematic roar, but it still means the king of the dinosaurs was essentially an overgrown, aggressive chicken
