[D] Gorgosaurus lancensis [Su]
Describer
Gilmore, 1946
Time
Cretaceous Late Maastrichtian
Classification
Saurischia Theropoda Tyrannosauria Tyrannosauridae Tyrannosaurinae Albertosaurini
Diet
Carnivore
Fossilsite
Hell Creek Formation, Montana, US
Fall Under
Nanotyrannus
Info
Skull
Nanotyrannus (Bakker, Currie & Williams, 1988) > Nanotyrannus lancensis (Gilmore, 1946) = Albertosaurus (Clevelanotyrannus) lancensis (Gilmore, 1946 vide Paul, 1988) > Gorgosaurus lancensis (Gilmore, 1946) >> Clevelanotyrannus (Bakker, Williams & Currie vide Currie, 1987) Albertosaurus lancensis (Russell, 1970) Albertosaurus (Nanotyrannus) lancensis (Gilmore, 1946 vide Paul, 1988)
Nanotyrannus was found in Montana by a museum curator in 1942. It was first described as a new species of Gorgosaurus and later reclassified as an Albertosaurus lancensis. Other scientists suggested that the small skull came from a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.
In the late 1980s re-evaluation of the skull, which has some odd features are its wedge shape, narrow beak, and huge crest on top, led to the conclusion that the skull belonged to a primitive, but new and separate tyrannosaurid genus which they named Nanotyrannus or \\\\\\\"pygmy tyrant,\\\\\\\". A CAT scan, which revealed an unusual feature of one skull bone not seen in other tyrannosaurs, bolstered the claim that this specimen was something different.
Gilmore, 1946
Time
Cretaceous Late Maastrichtian
Classification
Saurischia Theropoda Tyrannosauria Tyrannosauridae Tyrannosaurinae Albertosaurini
Diet
Carnivore
Fossilsite
Hell Creek Formation, Montana, US
Fall Under
Nanotyrannus
Info
Skull
Nanotyrannus (Bakker, Currie & Williams, 1988) > Nanotyrannus lancensis (Gilmore, 1946) = Albertosaurus (Clevelanotyrannus) lancensis (Gilmore, 1946 vide Paul, 1988) > Gorgosaurus lancensis (Gilmore, 1946) >> Clevelanotyrannus (Bakker, Williams & Currie vide Currie, 1987) Albertosaurus lancensis (Russell, 1970) Albertosaurus (Nanotyrannus) lancensis (Gilmore, 1946 vide Paul, 1988)
Nanotyrannus was found in Montana by a museum curator in 1942. It was first described as a new species of Gorgosaurus and later reclassified as an Albertosaurus lancensis. Other scientists suggested that the small skull came from a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex.
In the late 1980s re-evaluation of the skull, which has some odd features are its wedge shape, narrow beak, and huge crest on top, led to the conclusion that the skull belonged to a primitive, but new and separate tyrannosaurid genus which they named Nanotyrannus or \\\\\\\"pygmy tyrant,\\\\\\\". A CAT scan, which revealed an unusual feature of one skull bone not seen in other tyrannosaurs, bolstered the claim that this specimen was something different.