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How did tyrannosaur teeth differ from the blade-shaped teeth of many other theropods?

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Sue, a dinosaur fossil (Tyrannosaurus rex) — tyrannosaur The fossilized remains of Sue, the most complete *Tyrannosaurus rex* skeleton in the world, on display at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.

Unlike the blade-shaped, daggerlike teeth found in most other theropods, the teeth of adult tyrannosaurs are distinctive in their shape and structure. While juvenile tyrannosaurs possess laterally compressed, serrated teeth similar to those of other flesh-eating dinosaurs, mature individuals develop teeth that are D-shaped in cross section.1

These teeth are also fewer in number and larger than those of their counterparts. The mouth of a tyrannosaur typically contained about 60 teeth, which were frequently shed and regrown. Additionally, the serrations on these teeth feature deep, pocketlike recesses that may have harbored bacteria, potentially resulting in an infectious bite. This specialized dentition, combined with a heavily braced skull, allowed tyrannosaurs to function as voracious predators capable of biting through the bones of other dinosaurs.1