New Tyrannosaur Dynamoterror dynastes

Dynamoterror dynastes

Dynamoterror dynastes is a new discovery from the state of New Mexico, USA.  It was fairly large at 30 feet or about 9 meters long.  It lived earlier than other known precursor Tyrannosaurs like Albertosaurus and Daspleteosaurus.  It lived around 78 to 80 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period.  During this part of the Cretaceous Period in what is now New Mexico the environment was very lush and green.  

Dynamoterrro may have been a direct ancestor to T. rex or it may have been from a common ancestor to Tyrannosaurus rex.  Tyrannosaurus was much larger at 40 feet or 12 meters long.  The name of this dinosaur is interesting.   "Dynamo" in Greek means "powerful."   "Terror" is a Latin word.  and the species name of "dynastes" means "ruler."  So Dynamoterror dynastes means Powerful Terror Ruler. 

The small Ceratopsian you see in the drawing is another recent discovery from Montana.  It was cow sized and is as yet an unnamed dinosaur with brow horns but no nose horn.  It is not a Zuiniceratops but it is similar.  Zuniceratopos was smaller and lived well before Dynamoterror.  This new find lived at the same time as Dynamoterror. . . albeit in Montana, not New Mexico.   Of course Zuniceratops DID live in New Mexico. . . or it lived in what is now New Mexico.  This new Ceratopsian had sharp bones or mini-horns on its frill, probably for added protection.  

There is a University of Utah paleontologist who thinks that sooner or later we will find a T. rex skeleton with evidence of feathers or proto-feathers.  So it is quite possible that Dynamoterror was covered in feathers or proto-feathers. Lythronax, another fairly recent find in Southern Utah also probably DID  have some proto-feathers or feathers.  It was around at the same time as Dynamoterror.  .  . and they were in the same general area of the world.  The name Lythronax means Gore King. 

The original fossils or Holotypes of both Lythronax and Dynamoterror are housed at the University of Utah's . . . Natural History Museum of Utah.  

Feathered Tyrannosaurus rex

Lythronax the Gore King

Zuniceratops with Young