Tyrannosaurus rex Segments

Tyrannosaurus rex8 Appearances
Presence
Coasts (Segment 1) 1 adult male 5 juveniles (1 deceased) Freshwater (Segment 2) 1 adult male 1 adult female Swamps (Segment 5) 2 subadult males North America (Segment 1) 1 adult male Could T. rex Really Swim? Stock footage from Coasts What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs? Stock footage from North America How Good Were T. rex Senses? Stock footage from Swamps Pterosaur Beach 1 adult female 2+ teenagers
Notes
The only animal (aside from Nanuqsaurus) that appeared in multiple segments shown eating in all the segments it was featured in.

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Segments

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These are Prehistoric Planet segments which feature Tyrannosaurus rex.

“ Surely, one of the most remarkable animals that have ever existed - and certainly one of the most famous - is a dinosaur. Tyrannosaurus rex. An animal to spark the imagination for all of us. What kind of an animal was it? What did it look like? How did it live? ”

― David Attenborough, Prehistoric Planet Season 1 episode opening

The skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus is present in the opening of every episode in the first season of Prehistoric Planet, serving as the overall representative of the dinosaurs, the greatness they stood for, the fascination they garner, and the air of enigma that has long been around them, mysteries that the show aims to solve or at least give viable explanations for. The opening of the second season's episodes continues this by bringing up T. rex's swimming capabilities, which were presented and discussed in the first season.

Coasts

	Coasts, Segment I
	Setting Hell Creek Formation, Montana - South Dakota, USA Western Interior Seaway, USA

Coasts, Segment I

Setting

• Hell Creek Formation, Montana - South Dakota, USA
• Western Interior Seaway, USA

“ The southern shores of the great inland sea that splits North America, and the tracks of the land's top predator. A Tyrannosaurus rex taking a swim. Hollow, air-filled bones and powerful hind limbs make T. rex very effective swimmers. This is an adult male, with his young family. His offspring are now just old enough to follow him on a journey to one of the many offshore islands that fringe this coast. ”

― David Attenborough, Coasts

The first segment of Coasts takes place by the southern shores of the Western Interior Seaway, an inland sea that splits North America in half, with the tracks of a dinosaur left in the sand. The creature that left the footprint is nowhere on land, however. In the sea, an adult Tyrannosaurus rex is seen swimming, having smelled meat on an offshore island just a short distance from the coast, with his five young offspring following close behind.

A T. rex swimming to a nearby island with his offspring

“ It's a short enough crossing, but it can still be a dangerous one... a mosasaur, a giant marine lizard over twice the size of a tyrannosaur, and weighing over 15 tonnes. It's the largest predator on the planet. Turtles are normally on a mosasaur's menu, but this brood would make a welcome snack. An adult T. rex, even in water, can still defend itself very effectively, but the young must stay close... ”

― David Attenborough, Coasts

However, a mosasaur, taking notice of the tyrannosaur family, turns around in hopes of snatching one of them. The adult tyrannosaur briefly looks down in the water to gauge how close the mosasaur is, prompting him and his five children to swim faster. The mosasaur, aware that the adult T. rex is still capable of defending itself in the water very effectively, sets its sights on the one T. rex hatchling lagging behind the rest. As they approach the shore, the mosasaur closing in on them, the hatchling that is lagging behind screeches more as its panic grew greater, until it got dragged down beneath the waves, the mosasaur flicking its tail and turning around just as the rest of the tyrannosaur family reached the coast of the offshore island. The patriarch of the family gets up and faces the sea, realizing that one of his five offspring was taken away.

T. rex juveniles begging for a share of the turtle carcass

“ Tyrannosaurus rex often lose at least two-thirds of their original brood of 15 or so in the first year. Now, there are only four. ”

― David Attenborough, Coasts

With nothing more than can be done, he turns to the smell that drew his attention to the offshore island. Ignoring the giant two-tonne turtles crawling around, having arrived to the beach to lay their eggs, the T. rex walks to an already-dead turtle, turns it over, and crushes through its belly with his tremendous, five-tonne bite force. When his chicks try to get a taste, however, he drives them off with a growl, intending for them to learn to hunt for food on their on their own.

T. rex juveniles riding on a protostegid

“ The beach, however, doesn't look very promising. But as the evening approaches, things start to change. Baby turtles are beginning to hatch from the sand, and rush down to the sea. The young T. rex have been brought to an ideal training ground. Hatchling turtles are the perfect size for a novice to tackle. ”

― David Attenborough, Coasts

The four surviving juveniles at first simply run around the beach, even playing around and riding a giant turtle at one point. As evening approaches, the turtles eggs buried in the sand hatch, and the young turtles make their way to the sea. One young tyrannosaur at first plays around with these turtles, stomping some of them into the sand, and getting scared off by the waves as they take a turtle hatchling into the sea. Their parent still refuses to share the dead turtle he's eating, so one of the juveniles decides to go after a baby turtle, only to be fought off by one of its siblings, which steals and eats the baby turtle for itself, leading to a game of chase. The segment ends with more of the newly-hatched turtles getting swept by the waves into the sea.

Freshwater

	Freshwater, Segment II
	Setting Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA

Freshwater, Segment II

Setting
Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA

An old male T. rex (left) meets a smaller and younger female (right)

In the second segment of Freshwater, a dead Triceratops is shown, having been slain by an old T. rex, which gets up from his nap and proceeds to feed on his prey, which left a deep gash in his right leg beforehand. The theropod, having been injured by decades of fighting large prey (with one fight even costing him the tip of his tail) goes down to a nearby river to drink and wash his newest wounds. Suddenly, another T. rex arrives from the other side of the river. The two theropods growl at each other, but through smell, the old male deduces that the newcomer is a female, younger and smaller than he is. He raises his head, exposing his neck and letting out a throaty bellow to signal that he has no intentions to fight her, but would prefer to mate. The female responds in kind, also letting out a drumming bellow of approval.

T. rexes copulating

“ The facial area of a tyrannosaur is very sensitive to touch, and they nuzzle. His great size and his battle scars are evidence that he is a survivor, and that, perhaps, in her eyes, makes him an attractive partner. So they stay together, and in the coming weeks, they mate frequently. Eventually, she'll lay up to 15 eggs, and with them comes the promise of the next generation. ”

― David Attenborough, Freshwater

The segment ends with the two tyrannosaurs mating in the middle of the forest before getting up and moving out together, either to hunt food together, or find a better place to rest and mate in.

Swamps

	Swamps, Segment V
	Setting Hell Creek Formation, Montana - South Dakota, USA Filming Location Bog Pond, Waterford, Oxford, Maine, USA

Swamps, Segment V

Setting
Hell Creek Formation, Montana - South Dakota, USA

Filming Location
Bog Pond, Waterford, Oxford, Maine, USA

Tyrannosaurus brothers

In the fifth and final segment of Swamps, a wetlands region, flooded all year round and turned into a lush, excellent feeding ground during springtime, attracts herds of Edmontosaurus and Triceratops. The large number of herbivores in the area, however, attracts the attention of two subadult T. rex brothers. They would prefer to ambush their prey, but with many of the herbivores already aware of their presence (including a formidable trio of Triceratops, which glare back at them while drinking from the swamp), the T. rexes postpone their attack for a better time.

One Tyrannosaurus rushes out to attack an Edmontosaurus

“ As darkness falls, some of the herds that had been grazing out in the open retreat into the forest for shelter. Now, the odds switch in favor of the predators. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

As night falls, one tyrannosaur quickly looks over the area before waking his brother up, and together, using their superb low-light vision (due to having the largest eyes of any dinosaur) and near-silent movement (helped in part by their cushioned foot pads muffling every step) to their advantage, they sneaking up on a herd of Edmontosaurus. Their plan in place, the T. rex brothers split and take up different positions. One deliberately makes a noise, alarming the herd, which is now aware that hunters are close by, but do not know exactly where the predators are. Taking advantage of this air of uneasiness spreading through the herd, one T. rex rushes out, attacking one Edmontosaurus, ramming at it full force while biting its back right leg. This sudden attack causes the herd to panic and rush right where the other hunter is waiting, allowing him to ambush an Edmontosaurus and bring his jaws down on its neck.

The Tyrannosaurus brothers feed on an Edmontosaurus

“ A perfectly-executed plan by one of the greatest land predators that have ever lived in the swamps of our Prehistoric Planet. ”

― David Attenborough, Swamps

Their target now singled out, the other T. rex arrives to help, and both brothers wrestle the Edmontosaurus to the ground. The hadrosaur, refusing to go down, put up a decent struggle, pushing, shaking, and kicking its attackers off at times, but in the end, the theropods put the Edmontosaurus down for good with bites to the neck and stomach. That night, as the rest of the hadrosaurs fled in fright, the Tyrannosaurus brothers feasted on their hard-earned catch.

North America

	North America, Segment I
	Setting Javelina Formation, Texas, USA Filming Location Wharariki Beach, Cape Farewell, South Island, New Zealand

North America, Segment I

Setting
Javelina Formation, Texas, USA

Filming Location
Wharariki Beach, Cape Farewell, South Island, New Zealand

Alamosaurus herd traveling down the shores of the Western Interior Seaway

“ The coast of the vast, inland sea that almost splits North America in half. Here in the south, as the tide falls, giants are drawn to the shoreline. These Alamosaurs are a hundred feet long, and weigh some 80 tonnes. They are the largest dinosaurs on the continent. So huge that no predator can tackle them. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

In the first segment of North America, by the shores of the Western Interior Seaway, a herd of Alamosaurus travel along a beach. Given their great size, the titanosaurs are able to travel without fear of harm from any predator.

The 70 year-old Alamosaurus collapses

“ Some live to a great age. This male is around 70 years old. Many in the herd are likely to be his offspring. But his long life is now coming to an end. His immense body is beginning to fail him. He may not survive the night. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

As they go around a bend in the path, one 70 year-old male, feeling that his time is up, slowly drops down on the beach, the rest of the herd moving on without him. Accepting that his long life is at its end, the old male lays his head on the sand, closes his eyes, and peacefully passes away.

Troodontids assess the Alamosaurus carcass

“ Dawn. And these troodontids have picked up a scent. They're quick to investigate anything new, especially if it might be worth eating. But biting through a three inch-thick hide is beyond their power. Very frustrating. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

The next day, a trio of troodontids visit the beach, having smelled the corpse of the recently-deceased titanosaur. Skittishly, they explore and climb atop the dead sauropod, looking for the best part to start their meal. To their frustration, however, the small theropods found themselves unable to bite through the titanosaur's hide, which is three inches thick.

A T. rex forces a troodontid away from the Alamosaurus carcass

“ Tyrannosaurus rex. North America's top predator. With his six inch-long teeth, tearing through an Alamosaur's tough skin is not a problem. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

As they continued to attempt to take bites out of the corpse, the troodontids are then scared away by a male Tyrannosaurus, which is easily able to feed on the carcass with his six-inch teeth and bone-crushing bite. One troodontid manages to take one strip of meat as the T. rex feeds before being forced away again.

“ T. rex might be able to bully troodontids, but a carcass as big as this soon attracts more formidable competition... ”

― David Attenborough, North America

The smell of the massive carcass, extremely visible on the open beach, soon attracts the attention of other carnivores. As he is eating his meal, the T. rex soon hears a series of booming calls from above, and turns towards the source of the noise, growling in frustration upon realizing that he can no longer eat the carcass undisturbed.

A T. rex stands against a Quetzalcoatlus wanting to drive him away from the dead Alamosaurus

“ Quetzalcoatlus, a giant pterosaur. One of the few creatures that will challenge an adult tyrannosaur. One strike from its six foot-long beak could easily cost T. rex an eye. Even so, it seems that he's not going to back down. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

A Quetzalcoatlus lands down on the beach, eyeing the dead titanosaur right in front of it. The T. rex roars at the Quetzalcoatlus in an attempt to scare it off, but the azhdarchid pays no heed to the theropod's warnings as it slowly marches towards the carcass. The T. rex turns to face the pterosaur, revealing that his right eye is milky, with a horizontal scar across the eyeball, implied by the narration to have been rendered blind by a prior Quetzalcoatlus attack. As the T. rex continued to growl at it, the azhdarchid paused its advance to test the extent of the T. rex's aggression. Believing that his taller, lankier rival would not attempt to challenge him further than it already has, the T. rex turns back to his meal, prompting the Quetzalcoatlus to try and walk towards the carcass again.

T. rex roars back at the pair of Quetzalcoatlus

“ But the arrival of a second Quetzalcoatlus changes the odds. After all, two beaks are deadlier than one. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

No sooner did the theropod return to eating than another bellow echoed from the skies. Both the T. rex and the Quetzalcoatlus paused to turn their attention to the new arrival. A second Quetzalcoatlus has landed on the beach, letting loose a booming call to challenge the land-bound predator, with the T. rex responding in kind with his own fearsome roar. Emboldened by each other's presence, the two pterosaurs close in on the T. rex.

The two Quetzalcoatlus goad and provoke the T. rex to try and chase them off

Both Quetzalcoatlus charge in, snapping their beaks to make clear their defiance, but quickly dart away as the aggravated T. rex rushed towards them. Their intent is not to take on their heavier and more powerful adversary head-on, however. Instead, they plan to repeatedly harass and even injure him until they had inflicted enough discomfort to convince him to leave. While one Quetzalcoatlus gets chased off by the T. rex, the other lands atop the Alamosaurus corpse, diverting the T. rex's attention and enraging him even further.

The Quetzalcoatlus assault the T. rex from above and behind

As this azhdarchid gets into a squabbling match with the T. rex, having the annoyed theropod's undivided attention, the other Quetzalcoatlus flies at the T. rex from behind, almost pecking him in the back as it passed overhead. With the T. rex distracted yet again, the other Quetzalcoatlus leaps off the dead Alamosaurus to take part in the aerial harassment. Again and again, the two Quetzalcoatlus strike the T. rex in the back with their long beaks as he tried to swing around and grab one of them.

The pair of Quetzalcoatlus drive T. rex away

“ For T. rex, this is now too dangerous. Some fights just aren't worth the risk. For now, the flying giants have won. They quickly eat all they can. But T. rex will almost certainly be back to claim his share once his flying rivals leave. ”

― David Attenborough, North America

Overwhelmed by the assault, the T. rex, unwilling to risk receiving potentially more grievous injuries, abandons the titanosaur corpse to the azhdarchids, whom promptly feast on the bountiful meal. Given how the Quetzalcoatlus pair are unlikely to strip a considerable amount of the massive carcass clean, the T. rex will almost certainly return to feast on what is left once the pterosaurs have had their fill and moved on.

Uncovered: Could T. rex Really Swim?

	Could T. rex Really Swim?
	Subject The evidence supporting the idea of T. rex being capable of swimming, much like other large animals in the modern day. Experts Dr. Darren Naish

Could T. rex Really Swim?

Subject
The evidence supporting the idea of T. rex being capable of swimming, much like other large animals in the modern day.

Experts
Dr. Darren Naish

Footage from the Coasts episode is used for this Uncovered segment, dedicated to discussing whether T. rex can really swim. Its large skull, huge teeth, and evidence of an acute sense of smell serve are excellent proof of its prowess as a hunter, but what is being asked for is proof regarding its ability to swim. The answer lies in the muscular bird-like hind limbs of the theropods, good for walking and running. It is therefore argued that the kicks generated by these same, powerful legs can help T. rex cross large bodies of water.

“ And in the fossil record, there is direct evidence for exactly this. Score-like marks known as swim traces, created when the claws of a two-legged dinosaurs like T. rex scraped sediment on the bottom of lakes, rivers, and the seabed as they swam. ”

― David Attenborough, Prehistoric Planet: Uncovered - Could T. rex Really Swim?

CT scans also helped reveal that many theropod bones were hollow, which would have helped their massive bodies float. This helps serve as further evidence that T. rex is an excellent swimmer, and, using this ability, it can expand its feeding opportunities, as seen on the show, when it swam to an offshore island to feed on a dead turtle. To help dispel doubt, comparisons are made with several large animals alive in the modern day. Footage of swimming horses, elephants, ostriches, and emus are shown, proving that, even today, some of the heaviest animals can regularly go out for a swim.

“ In the modern world, the animals that are most similar to T. rex in general body shape are giant, flightless birds like ostriches and emus. And, perhaps surprisingly, these animals are very good swimmers. There are places where these birds make sea crossings, sometimes of several miles, so they can reach offshore islands and find new sources of food. ”

― Dr. Darren Naish, Lead Scientific Consultant

Even so, the ability to swim does not make T. rex completely safe. With giant predators like Mosasaurus prowling the seas, ready to snatch them (most especially the more vulnerable juveniles) at any time, T. rex would have only been brief visitors of the prehistoric oceans, for, though it is the "Tyrant Lizard King", mosasaurs are still undisputedly the masters of the waves.

Uncovered: What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?

	What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?
	Subject The other weird and wonderful creatures that lived alongside the dinosaurs, from Beelzebufo, marine reptiles, and pterosaurs, to their successors, mammals. Experts Dr. Darren Naish, Dr. Marc Jones, Dr. Mark Witton, Professor Anjali Goswami

What Else Lived Alongside The Dinosaurs?

Subject
The other weird and wonderful creatures that lived alongside the dinosaurs, from Beelzebufo, marine reptiles, and pterosaurs, to their successors, mammals.

Experts
Dr. Darren Naish, Dr. Marc Jones, Dr. Mark Witton, Professor Anjali Goswami

In this Uncovered segment, which goes over the many animals that lived alongside the dinosaurs, the pterosaurs are brought up as masters of the skies, following the part dedicated to Mosasaurus, the "greatest marine predators of all time". Footage of Barbaridactylus from Deserts, as well as the juvenile azhdarchids and Quetzalcoatlus from Freshwater are shown, lauded as "the very first animals with backbones to fly".

“ They were not just very big, they also had a skull that was about three meters long and ended in giant, stabby jaws. If you were Tyrannosaurus, you would probably think twice about approaching an animal that dangerous. ”

― Dr. Darren Naish, Lead Scientific Consultant

More focus is brought to them with footage of the pair of Quetzalcoatlus harassing a T. rex in North America, to drive home how the largest can pose a threat to even the deadliest of predatory dinosaurs. The pterosaurs, along with many other impressive creatures that lived alongside the dinosaurs, were not like anything alive today, though, as shown by the next part, dedicated to mammals like Adalatherium, there were also some other animals that might seem a little bit more familiar.

Uncovered: How Good Were T. rex Senses?

	How Good Were T. rex Senses?
	Subject The acute senses of a T. rex, the brain behind these senses, and nocturnality in dinosaurs. Experts Dr. Susannah Maidment, Professor Paul Barrett, Dr. Darren Naish

How Good Were T. rex Senses?

Subject
The acute senses of a T. rex, the brain behind these senses, and nocturnality in dinosaurs.

Experts
Dr. Susannah Maidment, Professor Paul Barrett, Dr. Darren Naish

Footage from the final segment of Swamps, following two tyrannosaurs hunting in the night, is reused in this Uncovered segment, where the key factors to a tyrannosaur's success are discussed. Their senses of sight, smell, and hearing are described as great, with the question at hand being how great, exactly. The problem with this is that dinosaur sense organs are not really preserved, though the characteristics of observable parts, like the skull, can still give clues regarding the understanding of dinosaur senses. For example, the eye sockets can help indicate the size of the animal's eyeball and the direction in which it faced. With this, it can be inferred that T. rex's eyes, the size of grapefruits, faced forward, proof of binocular vision.

The binocular vision of T. rex's grapefruit-sized eyes

“ The fields of vision of its two eyes overlap substantially, giving it very good depth perception, which would have made it a very effective predator. ”

― Professor Paul Barrett, Natural History Museum

Of course, sight is just one great hunting tool out of many. As shown by modern-day hunters like African wild dogs, which have superb vision, acute senses of hearing and smell can help predators track and pinpoint prey from miles away. In order to determine whether T. rex can rely on these same senses, it is important to take of note of key areas that relate to different senses, which can be gauged by observing different lobes of the animal's brain, and the bigger those lobes are, the better. As CT scans of T. rex's head reveal, the optic (sight) and olfactory (smell) lobes of its brain are exceptionally large. The CT scans also reveal that the inner ear of the theropod is adapted to picking up low frequencies, which can help detect prey over long distances.

T. rex's brain has large optic and olfactory lobes, as well as an inner ear adapted to picking up low frequencies to hear potential prey from afar

“ These really impressive senses would have combined to allow them to hone in on prey very quickly and very accurately. ”

― Dr. Susannah Maidment, Natural History Museum

With this, an exciting new theory is formed. Today, predators with such a deadly combination of senses are observed using these senses to hunt effectively during the night. It is believed that T. rex may have done the same.

“ Until recently, it was assumed that dinosaurs were animals of the daytime. But if we actually look at the behavior of living animals, there's no reason to think this is true. ”

― Dr. Darren Naish, Lead Scientific Consultant

In low-light conditions, where predators can use their acute senses and the cover of darkness to zero in on prey and ambush them, T. rex would have made most of such an advantage, using its excellent senses of sight, smell, and hearing to make it one of the greatest predators to ever live on the Prehistoric Planet.

Prehistoric Planet Immersive: Pterosaur Beach

Tyrannosaurus rex appears in "Pterosaur Beach", the first episode of "Prehistoric Planet Immersive", a spinoff series exclusive to Apple Vision Pro (not to be confused with a new Prehistoric Planet app that is also on the Apple Vision Pro, "Encounter Dinosaurs"). The four-minute story, released on the 2nd of February 2024, involves teenage T. rexes disturbing a coastal colony of Tethydraco until the arrival of their parent.

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Trivia

General

• Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the two animals that appeared in multiple segments shown eating in all the segments it was featured in. It ate a protostegid in the first segment of Coasts, fed on a Triceratops that it hunted offscreen in the second segment of Freshwater, engaged in cooperative nocturnal hunting to bring down an Edmontosaurus in the fifth segment of Swamps, and scavenged an Alamosaurus in the first segment of North America. The other such animal to hold that distinction is T. rex's Alaskan relative Nanuqsaurus, which hunted Pachyrhinosaurus in the sixth segment of Ice Worlds and Ornithomimus in the fifth segment of North America. Close contenders include
  • Velociraptor, which ate a lizard in the second segment of Deserts and begun consuming a Prenocephale by the end of the second segment of Badlands, but only ran off with a juvenile azhdarchid to eat it offscreen by the end of the first segment of Freshwater.
  • Hatzegopteryx, which ate a juvenile Zalmoxes in the seventh segment of Forests and a juvenile Tethyshadros in the second segment of Islands, though in its third appearance, it only used a juvenile Tethyshadros as a reusable proof of strength, with neither the male nor the female he mated with actually consuming it by the end of the sixth segment of Islands.
• Prehistoric Planet's portrayal of T. rex mirrors the show's depiction of Hatzegopteryx.
  • Both are shown as apex predators (the largest and most robust in their respective families) with a wide geographic range.
    • A lone male T. rex is depicted scavenging an Alamosaurus carcass and facing off against two Quetzalcoatlus in the Javelina Formation of Texas, USA (the southernmost part of its range) in the first segment of North America.
    • Though only known from Hațeg Island (modern-day Hațeg Basin) in Romania, a group of Hatzegopteryx is shown in the second segment of Islands visiting and hunting a herd of Tethyshadros in Italy.
  • Both are seen with slain prey after a hunt, then courting and copulating with a female.
    • In the second segment of Freshwater, an old male T. rex is seen waking up next to a Triceratops that he just killed, proceeded to eat it, then washed his wounds in a river, where he met a female. He courts her with rumbling noises from his raised throat, she reciprocates, and, after a tender moment, they mate.
    • In the sixth segment of Islands, a male Hatzegopteryx carries the dead body of a juvenile Tethyshadros to a small island. He used his latest kill to attract a female and convince her of his strength. He then enticed her with rumblings from his throat and beak clacks that she reciprocated, builds trust with her through a synchronized dance, and further proved his might by fighting off a younger male. This ensured a quick yet successful copulation between the old male and the female, a plan he intended to repeatedly carry out.

Freshwater

• T. rex is seen feeding on a Triceratops starting from the neck. As a study in 2012 suggests, T. rex likely focused on the nutrient-rich neck muscles behind the frill of a Triceratops (which, in life, were necessary to help the ceratopsian support the great weight of its head).
• It is unknown how exactly dinosaurs drank water. Prehistoric Planet chose to depict various types of dinosaur drinking water in different ways, with theropods shown scooping up water with their lower jaws rather than lapping it with their tongues or sucking it up. In the fourth segment of Deserts, Mononykus, Therizinosaurus, and Tarbosaurus drink water in this manner, and Tyrannosaurus is depicted doing the same in this segment.
• This is the fifth segment to feature a courtship ritual.

Swamps

• The original plan for this segment involved two juvenile T. rexes attacking an adult Edmontosaurus, only to be beaten up.
• With this segment, T. rex is the last of the four tyrannosaurs in the series shown hunting onscreen.
  • As with Tarbosaurus and Nanuqsaurus (but not Qianzhousaurus), T. rex is shown engaging in cooperative hunting. Unlike the other two, which involves a trio of tyrannosaurs going after prey, the T. rexes hunt in pairs.
• T. rex and Phosphorosaurus (as well as Kuru kulla if one counts nest raiding as hunting) are the only animals depicted hunting at night on Prehistoric Planet.
• According to Dr. Darren Naish, Prehistoric Planet's lead consultant, the narration bringing up the idea that Edmontosaurus is twice as fast as T. rex is a mistake. What was supposed to be stated was that both animals had a similar top speed.

North America

• This segment took 600 days to animate.
• This segment mirrors the first segment of Coasts, and, in some ways, is also its opposite.
  • In Coasts, a male T. rex, followed by his hatchlings, leaves the beach of the mainland, ventures across the sea, encounters an enemy living in the sea, a creature of superior strength and size (a mosasaur), gets away from it, and enjoys scavenging a large carcass (a turtle) on the beach of an offshore island by the end of the segment.
  • In North America, a lone male T. rex visits the beach of the mainland to scavenge a large carcass (Alamosaurus), encounters two enemies from the skies, creatures of inferior strength, but greater height (a pair of Quetzalcoatlus), and is forced to get away from them by the end of the segment.

Prehistoric Planet Immersive: Pterosaur Beach

• The synopsis of the T. rex section brings up teenagers (presumably younger than the independent subadult brothers of Swamps) under the care of their mother. Assuming that this is not a mistake in the synopsis, it may possibly indicate that, while T. rexes are raised by only one parent, it is not always necessarily the father that rears them.