In Depth
Aviatyrannis was for lack of a better word tiny, although this small size is actually a hallmark of tyrannosaur ancestry. Although incomplete, the fossil remains of Aviatyrannis are very similar to another ancient tyrannosaur, Stokesosaurus, from North America. This has resulted in speculation that Aviatyrannis is actually a junior synonym of Stokesosaurus, and further fossil material may reveal the answer once and for all. Regardless of what may happen with the genus of Aviatyrannis in the future, the fossils from Portugal do prove that the early tyrannosaurs did find their way to Europe, probably from North America. This in turn goes some way to explaining the presence of Eotyrannus, a later tyrannosaur from the early Cretaceous that was discovered in the British Isle’s.
Further Reading
– A tyrannosauroid dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal. – Palaeontology 46(5):903-913. – O. W. M. Rauhut – 2003.
