King of the dinosaurs © Corbin17/Alamy
No other dinosaur has quite the notoriety of the Tyrannosaurus rex. The species gained widespread popularity in 1905, when a New York Times article hailed it as "the king of all kings in the domain of animal life," and the "absolute warlord of the earth." The so-called "tyrant lizard" has been a star ever since, regularly appearing in film, TV, literature, and—for some of us—nightmares.