Albertosaurus

Name Origin

Lizard from Alberta

Family

Tyrannosauridae

Classification

Diapsida, Saurischia, Theropoda

Habitat (Discovery Location)

United States, Canada

Period

Approximately 70.6 to 66 million years ago (Late Cretaceous)

Length

Approximately 9 meters

Weight

Approximately 1.3 to 2.5 tons

Diet

Carnivore (Meat-eater)

Description

Albertosaurus was a carnivorous dinosaur that lived in North America, in what is now Alberta, Canada, during the Late Cretaceous period.
Its name is derived from the location where it was discovered, and it is one of the most frequently found tyrannosaurid species.
While its appearance was similar to Tyrannosaurus, its ecology and history have many differences.

Its appearance was similar to Tyrannosaurus.

Physical Characteristics Different from Tyrannosaurus

Albertosaurus had a more slender and delicate build than Tyrannosaurus, measuring about 9 meters long and weighing less than half as much.
However, its lightweight body was its greatest weapon.
It could run at speeds of over 30 km/h, making it a very formidable predator for herbivorous dinosaurs like ceratopsians and hadrosaurs in its environment.

It was a very formidable predator.

Despite its slender body, its bite force reached as high as 4 tons.
While its teeth were weaker than a Tyrannosaurus’s, they were constantly being replaced with new ones, so if a prey struggled and a tooth broke, it would quickly be replaced.

A depiction of Albertosaurus hunting.

In contrast to its powerful hind limbs, its forelimbs were extremely small with only two fingers, and their purpose is still not fully understood.
It is believed they may have been a vestigial trait from its evolutionary past.

Social Behavior and History Told by Fossils

Albertosaurus was first discovered in 1884, but its scientific name was not formally published until 1905, 21 years later.

Around 1910, a “bonebed” containing the remains of 26 individuals was discovered, which suggests that they may have lived in groups.
These numerous fossils were later used for research on Tyrannosaurus and other dinosaurs.
As one of the most-found tyrannosaurids, Albertosaurus continues to provide valuable information to the field of paleontology.