Dynamoterror
Dynamoterror was a huge, meat-eating dinosaur that lived in New Mexico about 78 million years ago. It was a cousin of the famous T. rex and was one of the top predators in its ancient forest home.1
When did it live?
Fun facts
Dynamoterror was named in 2018 from just a few bones, including parts of the skull, a hand bone, and toe bones.1
Its name means 'powerful terror ruler' and was chosen to honor a childhood favorite dinosaur of the lead scientist, Dynamosaurus.1
Dynamoterror lived during the early Campanian period, about 78 million years ago, making it one of the older tyrannosaurids.1
The fossils of Dynamoterror were found scattered on the ground, not buried in rock, so scientists think the skeleton was already broken up before it was discovered.2
Dynamoterror is a member of the tyrannosaurine group, which includes the biggest and most advanced tyrannosaurs like T. rex.1
Scientists used 3D laser scanning to study the skull bones of Dynamoterror and create a digital model of its head.1
Most asked questions about Dynamoterror
?How big was Dynamoterror?
It was about 9 metres (30 feet) long, similar in length to a subadult Tyrannosaurus.3
?What did Dynamoterror eat?
As a tyrannosaurid predator, it ate meat, likely other dinosaurs and large animals in its ancient forest home.3
?When did Dynamoterror live?
It lived about 78 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period.3
?Where was Dynamoterror found?
Its fossils were discovered in the Menefee Formation in New Mexico, USA.3
?Is Dynamoterror a dinosaur?
Yes, it is a dinosaur, a type of tyrannosaurid theropod.3
?Why is it called Dynamoterror?
Its name means 'powerful terror ruler' and was chosen to honor a childhood favorite dinosaur of the lead scientist, Dynamosaurus.3
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Dynamoterror
- Named by
- McDonald et al. 20184
- Group
- Tyrannosaurs
- Family / clade
- Tyrannosauridae4
- Classification
- Theropoda > Tyrannosauroidea > Tyrannosauridae4
- Age of the rocks
- 84 to 72 million years (Campanian)4
- Rock formations
- Menefee4
- Countries
- USA4
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- Dynamoterror was discovered in 2012 in the Menefee Formation of New Mexico by a team led by Andrew McDonald. It was named and described in 2018.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure exactly how big Dynamoterror was because only a few bones have been found. They also debate whether one of its unique skull features is a true species marker or just a growth change.1
Where the facts come from
- PeerJ A new tyrannosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Menefee Formation of New Mexico (peerj.com)
- A new tyrannosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Menefee Formation of New Mexico (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Dynamoterror (en.wikipedia.org)
- Dynamoterror in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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