Nanotyrannus

genus of Late Cretaceous tyrannosauroids

Nanotyrannus (meaning "dwarf tyrant") is a doubtful genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur. They may be juveniles of Tyrannosaurus or a similar genus. The issue is not yet decided.[1]

Nanotyrannus
Temporal range: , Late Cretaceous, 68.5–66 Ma
Holotype skull
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: Tyrannosauridae
Subfamily: Tyrannosaurinae
Genus: Nanotyrannus
Bakker, Currie & Williams, 1988
Species:
N. lancensis
Binomial name
Nanotyrannus lancensis
Gilmore, 1946
Synonyms
Genus synonymy
  • Stygivenator?
    Olshevsky, 1995
Species synonymy

Only two or three specimens are known. They are from the end of the Upper Cretaceous, 67 million years ago. The first alleged specimen was found in Montana in 1942. It was thought to have been a Gorgosaurus, but it was reclassified in 1988.

References change

  1. Tsuihiji, T.; Watabe, M.; Tsogtbaatar, K.; Tsubamoto, T.; Barsbold, R.; Suzuki, S.; Lee, A.H.; Ridgely, R.C.; Kawahara, Y.; Witmer, L.M. (2011). "Cranial osteology of a juvenile specimen of Tarbosaurus bataar from the Nemegt Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of Bugin Tsav, Mongolia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31 (3): 497–517. doi:10.1080/02724634.2011.557116. S2CID 15369707.