April 5, 2006—Taking photos of a Tyrannosaurus rex in action is no easy feat. Never mind that the meat-eating dinosaur has been extinct for millions of years—National Geographic photographers used a scaled-down skull replica with real bone-crushing action.

But snapping the perfect shot of the jaw shattering bone is a nail-biting trial-and-error process. Watch the team capture the crucial moment and bring T. rex's dinnertime to life.