Nanotyrannus

dinosaur · tiny predator · late cretaceous

Smaller than T. rex. Nanotyrannus was a tyrannosaurid dinosaur, a relative of the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, but much smaller in body size. Its name literally means 'tiny tyrant' because it was so much littler than its famous cousins.

Lived in western North America. This dinosaur made its home in what is now the western United States during the Late Cretaceous period, leaving behind fossils in the Hell Creek Formation. It roamed the same landscape as some of the last dinosaurs to ever live.

Last of its kind. Nanotyrannus lived between 67 and 66 million years ago, right up until the asteroid impact that wiped out nearly all non-avian dinosaurs. It was one of the very last dinosaurs to walk the Earth.

Known from one skull. Scientists first learned about Nanotyrannus from a single fossil skull found in 1946. This precious fossil was so important that it convinced scientists to create an entirely new genus, or group, for this dinosaur.

Named twice over. The same fossil was initially called a species of Gorgosaurus in 1946, but in 1988 three scientists re-examined it and realized it deserved its own genus name, which they called Nanotyrannus.