Albertosaurus is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period. The type species, A. sarcophagus, was apparently restricted in range to the modern-day Canadian province of Alberta. An indeterminate species has been discovered in the Corral de Enmedio and Packard Formations in Mexico. Scientists disagree on the content of the genus, with some recognizing Gorgosaurus libratus as a second species.
About Albertosaurus in brief
Albertosaurus is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period. The type species, A. sarcophagus, was apparently restricted in range to the modern-day Canadian province of Alberta, after which the genus is named. An indeterminate species has been discovered in the Corral de Enmedio and Packard Formations in Mexico. Scientists disagree on the content of the genus, with some recognizing Gorgosaurus libratus as a second species. Since the first discovery in 1884, fossils of more than 30 individuals have been recovered, providing scientists with a more detailed knowledge of Albertosaurus anatomy. The discovery of 26 individuals at one site provides evidence of pack behaviour and allows studies of ontogeny and population biology, which are impossible with lesser-known dinosaurs. Albertosaurus was a bipedal predator with tiny, two-fingered hands and a massive head that had dozens of large, sharp teeth. It was much smaller than its larger and more famous relative Tyrannosaurus rex, growing 9 to 10 m and possibly weighing 2. 5 tonnes or less. It may have been at the top of the food chain in its local ecosystem. More than 30 specimens of all ages are known to science. The name honours Alberta, the Canadian province established the same year, in which the first remains were found. The generic name incorporates the Greek term σαυροςsauros, the most common suffix in dinosaur names.
The specific name is derived from Ancient Greek σβάξsarx, meaning ‘flesh-eating’ and having the same etymology as the funeral container with which it shares its name: a combination of the Greek words φαγεινphagein and’sarX’ The type specimen is a partial skull, collected in the summer of 1884 from an outcrop of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation alongside the Red Deer River, in Alberta. This specimen was recovered by an expedition of the Geological Survey of Canada, led by the famous geologist Joseph Burr Tyrrell. In 1889, Thomas Chesmer Weston found an incomplete smaller skull associated with some skeletal material at a location nearby. The two skulls were assigned to the preexisting species Laelaps incrassatus by Edward Drinker Cope in 1892, but Cope refused to recognize the new name created by his archrival Lawrence Lambe. On August 11, 1910, American paleontologist Barnum Brown discovered the remains of a large group of large Albertosaurus at another quarry. Because of the large number of bones and the large size of the Albertosaurus, the taxon was a valid taxon for Albertosaurus. Because the paratype and later finds all shared a single common trait or autaporphy: an enlarged pneumatic opening in the back rim of the side of the palatine bone, proving that Albertosaurus had an enlarged back.
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This page is based on the article Albertosaurus published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 02, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
