Moros
From Ancient Greek Μόρος (Móros), meaning 'Doom'; the personified spirit of impending doom in Greek mythology
Late Cretaceous stages
Moros is a genus of small tyrannosauroid theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Utah. It contains a single species, M. intrepidus. Moros represents one of the earliest known diagnostic tyrannosauroid material from North America.
Diagnosis
- Small-bodied, gracile-limbed tyrannosauroid
- Semicircular tuberosity on the craniomedial femoral shaft originating at the distalmost extent of the lesser trochanter
- Sinuous articular facet on medial aspect of fourth metatarsal for contact with third metatarsal
- Transversely compressed, subtriangular distal articular condyle of the fourth metatarsal in distal view
- Distal articular surface of fourth metatarsal with hypertrophied craniolateral aspect confluent with deeply incised, striated extensor groove
Species
Moros intrepidus Zanno et al., 2019
Type species
From Latin 'intrepidus' meaning 'intrepid', referring to the hypothesized dispersal of tyrannosauroids from Asia throughout North America.
- Holotype
- NCSM 33392 , North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
- Material
- Right leg: femur, tibia, second and fourth metatarsal, third and fourth phalanx of the fourth toe
- Horizon
- lower Mussentuchit Member, Cedar Mountain Formation, Cenomanian, Late Cretaceous , 100.5–93.9 million years ago
- Locality
- NCPALEOUT05, Stormy Theropod, Utah, United States
References
- Zanno, L. E.; Tucker, R. T.; Canoville, A.; Avrahami, H. M.; Gates, T. A.; Makovicky, P. J. (2019). Diminutive fleet-footed tyrannosauroid narrows the 70-million-year gap in the North American fossil record. Communications Biology 2(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s42003-019-0308-7 zanno2019a
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Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.
Source of the body length, mass, and hip height estimates.
jones2026c