A new study reveals the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rexor T. rex apparently engaged in cannibalism.

Researchers examined the skull of a Daspletosaurus, a kind of T. rex, and found that during its lifetime, this beast experienced many physical injuries until its death. The Daspletosaurs is a genus of tyrannosaur smaller than the T. rex and believed to be 20 feet long and weighing over 1,000 pounds.

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The Daspletosaurus skull showed it sustained injuries throughout its life but not all of them were linked to bites. Those that were attributed to bites closely resemble those inflicted by tyrannosaurs' teeth.

One unique bite was found on the back of its head where a piece of the skull was broken off. The bite left a circular indentation of a tooth on the bone. There were also alterations on the surface of the bone that indicate the Daspletosaurus eventually healed from its injuries.

This dinosaur clearly had a hard life, said study lead author David Hone of the Queen Mary, University of London.  He said the most likely suspect to have caused its injuries was another member of the species known to fight one another.

Researchers also revealed that post mortem marks showed the Daspletosaurus was partly eaten by another larger tyrannossaur. Its death, however, did not lead to any evidence it was caused by another tyrannosaur. Evidence indicated the Daspletosaurus was indeed scavenged by other members of its family.

Scientists have documented violent fights can led to the deaths of carnivorous dinosaurs and have had suspicions of cannabalism. This marks the first time these two instances were observed in the same case.

The Daspletosaurus roamed the Earth some 75 million years ago. This study was published online in the journal, PeerJ.  

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