Alectrosaurus

Ah-lec-tro-sore-us.
By Nisha Yadav
Published on

Nisha Yadav

Physicist

Nisha Yadav is a dedicated physicist whose work bridges the gap between physics and paleontology. With a deep interest in the processes that preserve ancient life, she explores how physical principles govern fossilization and the preservation of extinct species.

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Yadav, N. (2013, January 28). Alectrosaurus. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/alectrosaurus/

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Name

Alectrosaurus (Unmarried lizard).

Phonetic

Ah-lec-tro-sore-us.

Named By

Charles Gilmore - 1933.

Classification

Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Theropoda, Tyrannosauroidea.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

A. olseni

Size

Approximately 5 meters long.

Known locations

Mongolia - Iren Dabasu Formation.

Time Period

Campanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Initially only a hind limb, skull and shoulder remains were later attributed to it on the grounds that further hind limb material matched the holotype. Further post cranial remains from China and Uzbekistan have been reported.

In Depth

       Because of the scant material available, Alectrosaurus is not very well known. The only thing that can be said about it with any confidence is that it was a tyrannosauroid, the superfamily that includes the famous Tyrannosaurus rex. Further elaboration on this is not currently possible and the exact position of Alectrosaurus within the tyrannosauroidea remains unknown with certainty.

Further Reading

– On the dinosaurian fauna of the Iren Dabasu Formation. – Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 68(2-3):23-78. – C. W. Gilmore – 1933. – [On the first finding of Alectrosaurus (Tyrannosauridae, Theropoda) in the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia.] – Problemy Geologii Mongolii 3:104-113. – A. Perle – 1977. – A redescription and revised diagnosis of the syntypes of the Mongolian tyrannosaur Alectrosaurus olseni. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 9(1):41-55. – B. J. Mader & R. L. Bradley – 1989.

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