It just goes to show that you can't tell everything by size. Despite its fearsome teeth and cumbersome body the T. rex was a sensitive lover according to a new study. The carnivorous dinosaur had a sensitive side - namely its nose, which was as sensitive as human fingertips.

In contrast with its 9-inch-long teeth and 20-foot height, the dinosaur had a nose which yearned to be touched.

As well as using its tactile nose to investigate surroundings, build nests and carefully pick up fragile eggs, the T. rex also enjoyed rubbing its sensitive face against that of a mate.

The US researchers wrote in the journal Scientific Reports: "In courtship, tyrannosaurids might have rubbed their sensitive faces together as a vital part of pre-copulatory play."

This new T. rex theory has been aided by the discovery of a new member of the tyrannosaur family called Daspletosaurus horneri (Horner's frightful lizard) in Montana, US.

These dinosaurs lived before the T. rex, around 74 million years ago and were a lot smaller, with a body length of 23ft (7 metres).

Fossils of this lizard were unusually preserved and their face contained the most stunning of discoveries.

Scientists now believe the dinosaur and other tyrannosaurs including T. rex wore a mask of large, flat scales, with regions of tough and protective amour-like skin around the snout and jaws.