Nanuqsaurus

tyrannosaurus · arctic · cretaceous · predator

Arctic Tyrant Lizard. Nanuqsaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in Alaska during the Late Cretaceous period, making it one of the dinosaurs that lived closest to the North Pole. Its name means 'polar bear lizard' in Inuit and Greek combined.

Alaska's Ancient Hunter. This dinosaur roamed the Prince Creek Formation on Alaska's North Slope, a region that was much warmer and wetter back then, with forests and rivers instead of today's frozen tundra. Scientists found its partial skull along with teeth and bones that tell us about its hunting lifestyle.

Mystery Theropod. Scientists have only discovered one partial skull and some other bone pieces from Nanuqsaurus, which means we still have lots to learn about this Arctic predator. More fossils could help us understand exactly how big it was and how it hunted.

Prehistoric Climate. The fact that a tyrannosaur lived in Arctic Alaska shows that the North was much warmer during the Cretaceous, with dinosaurs thriving in polar regions that would be impossible for such creatures today.