Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. rex) and velociraptors are just two of the universally recognized dinosaurs in the world. But in the new film Jurassic World: Dominion that hit the theaters Friday, a new dinosaur has caught the eye of the viewers and has become the talk of the internet.

That dinosaur is the Therizinosaurus, a giant six-ton dino that has been represented as a stalking threat and one that can kill a tyrannosaur. Some moviegoers have described it as the scariest dinosaur in the film, while others were delighted to see it.

Here's a quick look at its remarkable evolution.

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Therizinosaurus A.K.A. Scythe Lizard

Therizinosaur is believed to have lived 120 million years ago in a region now known as eastern Asia and North America, according to the Western Australian Museum.

Meet Therizinosaurus A.K.A. Scythe Lizard: A Herbivorous Dinosaur That Could Kill A T. Rex
(Photo : Wikimedia Commons/ABelov2014)
Restoration of Therizinosaurus, Tylocephale (actually Prenocephale) and Velociraptor (actually Adasaurus).

The strange-looking dinosaur was believed to have wide hips, a pot belly, and long arms with yard-long claws that might be the largest claws in the animal kingdom. That is why this dinosaur gained the nickname "scythe lizard." Also, they have relatively small skulls, extended fingers, and leaf-shaped teeth, giving them an evolutionary advantage.

Therizinosaur stands approximately 16 feet and belongs to the group of theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous period or around 66 million and 100 years ago. Therapods are dinosaurs that have hollow bones and three toes in each limb.

They are mostly hunted by a huge tyrannosaur called Tarbosaurus bataar. They could not outrun the predator, but scientists believed they mostly stood their ground and towered over the tyrannosaur with its meter-long claws. Since the tyrannosaur did not have an evolved vision that could help it judge distance very precisely, they usually get stabbed with their prey's long claws despite their sharp eye.

ALSO READ: Ancestors of Sauropod Dinosaurs Were Bipedal, Likely Quick to Move 205 Million Years Ago

Therizinosaur Gave Up Meat to Become A Herbivore

According to Newsweek, despite Therizinosaur's potentially threatening appearance, especially its long claws, it's not carnivorous. 

Scientists said that the small heads and the shape of their teeth show that the dinosaur has abandoned the meat-eating ways of their therapod ancestors and evolved to become a herbivore after a long time.

Due to this change in diet, it also changed the hips and hind limbs of Therizinosaur, which allowed them to develop a larger gut needed to digest plants. The Therizinosaur Falcarius has been identified as a transitional species because they developed herbivorous teeth and wider hips but remained a pubic bone and legs that resemble those of a carnivorous dinosaur.

What Other Dinosaurs Are There in Jurassic World: Dominion?

HITC wrote on their website that the 2022 installment of the Jurassic World film featured many other dinosaurs, including the T. rex, Giganotosaurus, Velociraptor, Pyroraptor, Allosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Atrociraptor, Tyrannosaurus, Dreadnoughtus, Compsognathus, Apatosaurus, Moros intrepidus, Oviraptor, Baryonyx, and Gallimimus.

RELATED ARTICLE: Suspected Remnants of England's Largest Theropod With Over 15 Meters Body Length, 13 Metric Tons Weight Discovered

Check out more news and information on Dinosaurs in Science Times.