Eotyrannus
Eotyrannus was an early cousin of the famous T. rex. It lived on the Isle of Wight in England during the Early Cretaceous period. This speedy hunter had long arms and sharp teeth.1
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Fun facts
Eotyrannus had D-shaped teeth in its upper jaw, just like T. rex.2
Its hands were long and slender, with fingers that could grab prey.2
The fossil was found in a plant debris bed, which was a swampy floodplain.2
Eotyrannus lived alongside other dinosaurs like Neovenator, Iguanodon, and Polacanthus.1
Scientists think Eotyrannus was a subadult when it died, because some of its bones were not fully fused.2
The name Eotyrannus means 'dawn tyrant' because it was an early relative of the tyrannosaurs.1
Most asked questions about Eotyrannus
?How big was Eotyrannus?
The only known specimen was about 4.5 metres long, but it was a subadult, so adults may have been larger.12
?When did Eotyrannus live?
Eotyrannus lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 131 to 126 million years ago.3
?What did Eotyrannus eat?
Eotyrannus was a predator that probably ate small to medium-sized dinosaurs like Hypsilophodon and Iguanodon, as well as mammals and reptiles.3
?Where was Eotyrannus found?
Eotyrannus was found on the Isle of Wight in England, in a plant debris bed from the Wessex Formation.13
?How fast could Eotyrannus run?
Scientists think Eotyrannus was fast and agile because it had unusually long legs, but no exact speed is known.3
?Is Eotyrannus a dinosaur?
Yes, Eotyrannus is a dinosaur. It is a tyrannosauroid theropod, which is a type of meat-eating dinosaur.1
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Eotyrannus
- Named by
- Hutt et al. 20014
- Group
- Tyrannosaurs
- Family / clade
- Tyrannosauroidea4
- Classification
- Theropoda > Tyrannosauroidea4
- Age of the rocks
- 133 to 121 million years (Hauterivian / Barremian)4
- Rock formations
- Wessex4
- Countries
- United Kingdom4
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- Eotyrannus was discovered by Gavin Leng on the Isle of Wight, England. Scientists Stephen Hutt and colleagues named and described it in 2001.12
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure exactly how big a full-grown Eotyrannus was, because the only known fossil is from a subadult.2
Where the facts come from
- Eotyrannus (en.wikipedia.org)
- A preliminary account of a new tyrannosauroid theropod from the Wessex Formation (Early Cretaceous) of southern England (darrennaish.wordpress.com)
- Dinosaur - Eotyrannus lengi - The Australian Museum (australian.museum)
- Eotyrannus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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