Open Paleo

Albertosaurinae

Currie et al., 2003 Type genus Albertosaurus

Its genera lived 83.6–66.0 million years ago Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Albertosaurinae is one of the two subfamilies of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs, the sister group to the Tyrannosaurinae. It comprises the two described genera Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus, both of which lived in the Late Cretaceous of western North America, in what is now the United States and Canada, though other undescribed species may belong to the group. Albertosaurines are large but relatively lightly built tyrannosaurids. Compared with the tyrannosaurines, they are more slender and gracile, with shorter, flatter skulls, shorter ilia, and proportionally longer, more running-adapted lower legs.

Diagnosis

  1. Frontal with a vertical postorbital suture anteriorly but a distinct horizontal shelf posteriorly
  2. Jugal pneumatic recess with a horizontal axis and a relatively small opening
  3. Lacrimal pneumatic openings set within a single fossa
  4. Maxillary fenestra whose anterior margin terminates behind the anterior margin of the antorbital fossa

Genera placed directly in Albertosaurinae

  • Albertosaurus Osborn, 1905 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Canada
  • Gorgosaurus Lambe, 1914 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Canada
  • Tromerosaurus Powers et al., 2026 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Canada

References

  1. Currie, P. J.; Hurum, J. H.; Sabath, K. (2003). Skull structure and evolution in tyrannosaurid dinosaurs. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 48(2): 227-234. https://app.pan.pl/article/item/app48-227.html currie2003a