A post at Real Clear Science's Newton Blog suggests that people should not make fun of Tyrannosaurus rex because of its small-in-comparison-to-its-enormous-flipping-mouth-and-gigantic-sharp-teeth arms or forelegs.
The arms, the blogger said, were likely used to grasp prey to keep it close, and may have been used by the male T. rex to hold his lady close when it came time for that special mommy-daddy hug (The unlucky specimen who confused his prey with his partner probably died out quickly -- this is not an animal about which "Love at first bite" signifies anything good.)
Plus, the forelegs seem wimpy only in comparison to the rest of the body. The blog entry notes that the arms were three feet long and could probably lift 430 pounds each. My arms are not three feet long and while they could indeed lift 430 pounds, they would do it by activating a forklift.
Although I am not an evolutionary biologist, I suspect that one possible use for the arms has been overlooked. Their relatively puny size disarmed the prey's fear response and engendered derisive insults, but they remained quite long enough for T. rex to offer its middle digit in response and then respond to the caustic comments by biting the offender in two.
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