In a dinosaur battle of giant carnivores - Giganotosaurus vs. Tarbosaurus - it would be an exciting fight. Based on size comparison, Giga had an advantage. But Tarbo’s bite force was the adaptation that won dinosaurs' battles!
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Battle Facts about Tarbosaurus vs. Giganotosaurus
| Name | Tarbosaurus (Tarbosaurus bataar) | Giganotosaurus (Giganotosaurus carolinii) |
| Size | 33 feet long, 11-12 feet tall | 45 feet long, 16-18.5 feet tall |
| Speed | 25 mph | 31 mph |
| Offense | Bite force of 8,000-10,000 pounds | Bite force of 6,000 pounds |
| Defense | Locking lower jaw, strong and sturdy legs | Hunted by slicing with its teeth instead of biting |
| Endurance and Behavior | Hunter of large prey, scavenger | Great hunter |
Tarbosaurus and Giganotosaurus were carnivorous Theropod dinosaurs with sharp teeth. A Giganotosaurus was huge, using its teeth to slash its prey.
A Tarbosaurus had a biteforce almost as strong as a Tyrannosaurus rex, which gave Tarbo a huge advantage. A dinosaur battle between these two massive apex predators would’ve been wild!
Were Tarbosaurus and Giganotosaurus Related?
Tarbosaurus and Giganotosaurus were not related. Tarbo was a Tyrannosaur related to the T-rex. Giga was related to Allosaurus, Acrocanthosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, and Tyrannotitan dinos.
Tarbo and Giga had a lot in common. They were both apex predators and had well-known relatives from North America.
Is Gigantosaurus Just Another Name for Giganotosaurus?
Giganotosaurus and Gigantosaurus were two completely different dinos. The Giganotosaurus was a carnivore from the Late Cretaceous period. The Gigantosaurus was a herbivore from the Late Jurassic period.
The confusion between these two dinos is partly because of their name. Also, a TV show called Gigantosaurus featured and misnamed our carnivorous dinosaur Giganotosaurus. Because of this, many people incorrectly think Giganotosaurus and Gigantosaurus are the same dinos.
The actual Gigantosaurus is a Sauropod with few remains found in England. The scientific name is Gigantosaurus megalonyx or “Giant Lizard.” The Gigantosaurus was thought to be very large and walked on four legs.
What Advantages did the Tarbosaurus have?
The Tarbosaurus had a locking lower jaw. With a bite force almost as strong as its relative T-rex, the Tarbosaurus could deliver a crushing bite and hold onto its prey until it suffocated or bled out. With this special jaw feature, Tarbo could even beat the massive Spinosaurus.
The Giganotosaurus had quicker, weaker bites like the fellow Argentina carnivore Carnotaurus. While quick bites were great for taking down smaller prey and large Sauropods, it was a disadvantage against the Tarbosaurus. Tarbosaurus’s ability to latch onto its prey with up to 10,000 pounds in bite force was a huge advantage!
What Advantages did the Giganotosaurus have?
The Giganotosaurus was bigger, heavier, and faster than the Tarbosaurus. Paleontologists believe that Giga could hit speeds of 31 mph. The Tarbosaurus could only run about 25 mph!
Being heavier and bigger also gave Giga an advantage over Tarbo. To estimate Giga’s size, paleontologists compared femurs to the largest T-rex ever found (Sue). According to these estimates, Giga was about 10 feet longer and 4-6 feet taller than Tarbo!
Who would win in a Giganotosaurus vs. Tarbosaurus Dinosaur Battle?
Giganotosaurus vs. Tarbosaurus would be a battle of the bites! If the Giganotosaurus could slash the Tarbosaurus without getting caught in Tarbo’s bite, Giga had an advantage. Being faster and bigger, Giga could stay out of Tarbo’s reach long enough to badly injure it.
But Giga would only win if it could avoid Tarbo’s massive bite force. Once Tarbo’s jaws were locked onto its prey, there was no shaking them off. The Tarbosaurus was more likely to beat the Giganotosaurus in most fights between the two!
The Giganotosaurus was bigger, faster, and heavier than most dinosaurs. This definitely helped Giga battle large Sauropods and other carnivorous dinosaurs. But overall strength and size were not always better when it came to a battle between Giganotosaurus vs. Tarbosaurus.
Just like the T rex vs. Spinosaurus fight would favor the smaller T rex, Giga vs. Tarbo came down to bite force. The Tarbosaurus wasn’t afraid to go after larger prey. Even if Giga could slash Tarbo with its strong teeth, Tarbo would have to be severely injured to lose the battle.