Theropods appeared in the late Triassic period. Nearly all walked on two legs and were carnivorous. Albertosaurus was a member of the Tyrannosauridae family. Tyrannosaurids, as they are known, were fearsome predators with huge heads and jaws full of sharp teeth. Other members of the Tyrannosauridae family include Tarbosaurus , Daspletosaurus and Gorgosaurus which may actually be the same genus as Albertosaurus.
Tyrannosaurus was the largest member of the family. Although both Albertosaurus and Tyrannosaurus lived in the late Cretaceous period, Albertosaurus was around earlier than its bigger cousin.
Albertosaurus is a genus. In biology, a genus is a group containing very similar species. The only Albertosaurus species that has been identified is the Albertosaurus sarcophagus. You can find out more about the Cretaceous, and other periods of the Mesozoic era here: Dinosaur Periods. Several have apparently died where they lay after having fallen and being unable to get back up.
Albertosaurus has given paleontologists and researchers a great deal to think about. It would mean their intelligence levels were above where we previously speculated. Albertosaurus fossil studies have opened the proverbial door to expand beliefs about other dinosaur predators. What Did Albertosaurus Eat? How Did Albertosaurus Move?
The Significance of Albertosaurus In History Albertosaurus has given paleontologists and researchers a great deal to think about. Prehistoric Era. Maximum Speed. These are precisely the abilities needed by predators. Scientific classification of Albertosaurus has been revised several times and may change further as more specimens are discovered.
For example, Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus may be two names given to the same animal, or they may be different enough to require their distinct names. Further Investigation: There is discussion among paleontologists as to the function of the forelimbs of Albertosaurus. The fact that they have well-developed muscle scars argues against the common perception that the forelimbs were virtually useless because they were so small. More research is needed to determine the function of the forelimbs.
Suggested Reading Hilton, Richard P. While newborn hatchlings packed on the pounds pretty quickly, this dinosaur really experienced a growth spurt in its middle teens, adding over pounds of bulk every year. Assuming it survived the depredations of late Cretaceous North America, the average albertosaurus would have reached its maximum size in about 20 years, and might have lived for 10 or so years after that given our current knowledge of dinosaur life spans.
Whenever paleontologists discover multiple specimens of the same dinosaur in the same location, speculation inevitably turns to group or pack behavior. While we don't know for sure that albertosaurus was a social animal, this seems to be a reasonable hypothesis, given what we know about some smaller theropods such as the much earlier coelophysis.
It's also conceivable that albertosaurus hunted its prey in packs—for example, it's possible that juveniles stampeded panicked herds of hypacrosaurus toward strategically located adults. Albertosaurus lived in a rich ecosystem, well-stocked with plant-eating prey including hadrosaurs such as edmontosaurus and lambeosaurus , and numerous ceratopsian horned and frilled and ornithomimid "bird mimic" dinosaurs.
Most likely, this tyrannosaur targeted juveniles and aged or sick individuals, culling them mercilessly from their herds during high-speed chases. Like its cousin, T. Albertosaurus was named by Henry Fairfield Osborn , the same American fossil hunter who gave the world Tyrannosaurus rex. Given its venerable fossil history, you might be surprised to learn that the genus albertosaurus comprises only one species, Albertosaurus sarcophagus.
However, this simple fact obscures a wealth of messy details. Tyrannosaurs were once known as deinodon. Over the years, various presumed species have been confused with one another, as with genera such as dryptosaurus and gorgosaurus.
In , the American fossil hunter Barnum Brown stumbled across what became known as the Dry Island Bonebed, a quarry in Alberta containing the remains of at least nine albertosaurus individuals. Incredibly, the Bonebed wound up being ignored for the next 75 years, until specialists from Alberta's Royal Tyrrell Museum revisited the site and resumed excavation, turning up a dozen additional albertosaurus specimens and over a thousand scattered bones.
Although dozens of albertosaurus teenagers and adults have been discovered over the past century, hatchlings and juveniles are phenomenally rare.
0コメント