Nanotyrannus

Cast of the skull of "Jane" in the Burpee Museum of Natural History

• North America (Montana)

• Nanotyrannus lancensis

Nanotyrannus ( "Little Bully ", from the Greek nanos "dwarf" and tyrannos " king tyrant " ) is a genus theropod dinosaur from the family of tyrannosaurids, at the end of the Cretaceous period, about 72-66 million years ago ( Maastrichtian ) in the western North America lived.

Like all tyrannosaurids was also Nanotyrannus bipeder a predator that but was significantly smaller than its relatives with five meters in length. An isolated skull (type material ) this genus was discovered in 1942; a more complete partial skeleton, called "Jane", researchers discovered in 2001. Both findings are from Hell Creek Formation of Montana, so Nanotyrannus shared its habitat with the much larger Tyrannosaurus rex. Many paleontologists suggest today that it is in Nanotyrannus to a juvenile Tyrannosaurus ( Juvenile synonym ).

Discovery and exploration history

The type specimen discovered in 1942 (catalog number CMN 7541 ), a small skull, was originally attributed in 1946 by Charles W. Gilmore the Gorgosaurus lancensis (now known as Albertosaurus ). Robert T. Bakker, Phillip Currie and Michael Williams described the new Fund in 1988 and concluded that the skull bones were fused, which argues for an adult animal. To put this group of researchers to a new genus, which she called due to the small size Nanotyrannus. However, other researchers questioned this assignment and often take on that it was at Nanotyrannus a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. The skull is now on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

In 2001, a research group at the Burpee Museum of Natural History discovered a fuller, 50% got Nanotyrannus specimen that has been given the nickname "Jane" (catalog number BMRP 04.01.2002. ). The fund consists of a complete, 57.2 inches long skull, as well as additional skeletal material ( Postkranium ). In a conference that was held in the Burpee Museum and had the validity of Nanotyrannus on the subject, saw many paleontologists as Phillip Currie and Donald Henderson, the new discovery as a confirmation that it is indeed rex at Nanotyrannus a juvenile Tyrannosaurus or a closely related had to act kind. Peter Larson, on the other hand, continued to support a separate genus for Nanotyrannus. Currently, research of Bakker, Larson and Currie, however, are not yet published work; they could clarify whether Nanotyrannus is a valid genus, a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex or a new type of an already known tyrannosaurid genus. "Jane" is now on display to the public in Burpee Museum.

Bakker speculated that Nanotyrannus could have hunted in packs, so the teeth of various Nanotyrannus individuals were discovered in the bones of herbivorous dinosaurs.