Scientists have long wondered exactly what the Tyrannosaurus Rex’s famously tiny arms may have been used for, but one scientists is making the controversial claim that they were actually “vicious weapons.” University of Hawaii paleontologist Steven Stanley claimed in a recent presentation before the Geological Society of America that these tiny arms were far from an evolutionary throwaway.

Although the arms were small and short, Stanley argues they were quite strong and featured long claws that could have allowed the T-rex to launch on its victim’s back, cutting massive gashes that stretched three feet and cut inches deep in just seconds. Before, scientists had argued that the arms were more likely to hold a partner close during sex.

It hasn’t convinced everyone, as some scientists reportedly believe such a claim is illogical, but it’s an alternative theory that indicates we have more to learn about the king of the dinosaurs.