''Tyrannosauripus'' is an
ichnogenus of
dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
footprint. It was discovered by geologist Charles "Chuck" Pillmore in 1983 and formally described by Martin Lockley and Adrian Hunt in 1994.
[Lockley, M. G.; Hunt, A. P. (1994). A track of the giant theropod dinosaur ''Tyrannosaurus'' from close to the Cretaceous/Tertiary Boundary, northern New Mexico. ''Ichnos'', 3(3): 213-218.] This fossil footprint from northern
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
is 96 cm long and given its
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the more recent of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''cre ...
age (about 66 million years old), it very likely belonged to the giant theropod dinosaur ''
Tyrannosaurus
''Tyrannosaurus'' () is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The type species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' ( meaning 'king' in Latin), often shortened to ''T. rex'' or colloquially t-rex, is one of the best represented theropods. It lived througho ...
rex''. In 2016 the size of this individual was estimated at 11.4 meters (37.4 ft) and 5.8-6.9 tonnes (6.4-7.6 short tons). Similar tridactyl dinosaur tracks in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
were discovered earlier and named ''
Tyrannosauropus'' in 1971, but they were later recognized as hadrosaurid tracks and their description deemed inadequate, with ''Tyrannosauropus'' regarded as a ''
nomen dubium
In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application.
Zoology
In case of a ''nomen dubium,'' it may be impossible to determine whether a ...
''.
[ True footprints likely from ''Tyrannosaurus'' would not be found until the discovery of ''Tyrannosauripus''. In 2007, a large tyrannosaurid track was found also in eastern ]Montana
Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
( Hell Creek Formation). In 2016, a probable fossil trackway of ''Tyrannosaurus'' was discovered in Wyoming
Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...
(Lance Formation
The Lance (Creek) Formation is a division of Late Cretaceous (dating to about 69–66 Ma) rocks in the western United States. Named after Lance Creek, Wyoming, the microvertebrate fossils and dinosaurs represent important components of the lates ...
).[Smith, S. D., Persons IV, W. S., Xing L. (2016). A tyrannosaur trackway at Glenrock, Lance Formation (Maastrichtian), Wyoming. ''Cretaceous Research'' 61, 1-4.]
References
External links
No Australian Tyrannosauropus After all - Lark Quarry Revisited
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Ve stopách posledních gigantů
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7861435
Theropod trace fossils
Fossil trackways
Tyrannosauridae