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Labocania

Say it: la-bo-KAN-ee-uh

Name means: “named after the La Bocana Roja Formation, which means 'the red estuary'”1

Ate: MeatTyrannosaursLate Cretaceous

Labocania was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in Mexico during the Late Cretaceous, about 85 to 72 million years ago. It was a medium-sized predator with strong bones and sharp teeth. Scientists are still figuring out exactly what kind of theropod it was.1 2

Lived

86 to 72 million years ago5

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Fossils have been found in Baja California and Coahuila, Mexico.1 2

Food

Meat1 2

Length

6.3 to 8.2 m1

estimates for different species and individuals

Weight

1.5 tonnes to 2.9 tonnes1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 2 cars

as long as 8 dogs nose to tailas long as 46 bananas end to endas heavy as 97 big dogsas heavy as 580 watermelons

How big was Labocania compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

cool stuff

Fun facts

Labocania's skull bones were very thick and strong, especially the bones on top of its head.1

The first Labocania fossils were found in 1970 by a volunteer named Harley J. Garbani during an expedition in Baja California, Mexico.1

Labocania's teeth were flat and curved backwards, which helped it hold onto prey.1

Scientists have debated whether Labocania was a tyrannosaur, an abelisaur, or a carcharodontosaur. In 2024, a new study placed it with tyrannosaurs.1

The second species, Labocania aguillonae, was named in 2024 after Martha C. Aguillon, a paleontologist from Coahuila, Mexico.1

Labocania lived on land and walked on two legs, like other theropods.2

AI-made picture of Labocania — An AI-made picture of how Labocania might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Labocania

?How big was Labocania?

Labocania was a medium sized carnivore. The species L. anomala was about 7 to 8.2 metres long and weighed around 1.5 to 2.6 tonnes. The smaller L. aguillonae was about 6.3 metres long.1

?Is Labocania a dinosaur?

Yes, Labocania is a dinosaur. It is a theropod dinosaur that lived in Mexico during the Late Cretaceous.1

?What did Labocania eat?

Labocania was a meat-eater. It had sharp, curved teeth and strong bones to help it catch and eat other animals.1

?When did Labocania live?

Labocania lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 85 to 72 million years ago. Some estimates suggest it might have lived as early as about 93.6 million years ago.1

?Was Labocania a tyrannosaur?

Scientists have debated this, but a 2024 study found that Labocania was a tyrannosaur, specifically a member of the group Teratophoneini. Earlier studies had suggested it might be an abelisaur or carcharodontosaur.1 3

?Where was Labocania found?

Labocania fossils have been found in Mexico. The first species, L. anomala, was found in Baja California, and the second, L. aguillonae, was found in Coahuila.1 4

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Labocania was definitely a tyrannosaur like T. rex.

Truth: Scientists are not sure. It might be a tyrannosaur, but some studies suggest it could be an abelisaur or a carcharodontosaur. The most recent study in 2024 supports tyrannosaur, but others disagree.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Labocania
Named by: Molnar 19745
Group: Tyrannosaurs
Family / clade: Tyrannosauridae5
Classification: Theropoda > Tyrannosauroidea > Tyrannosauridae5
Age of the rocks: 86 to 72 million years (Santonian / Campanian)5
Rock formations: La Bocana Roja, Cerro del Pueblo5
Countries: Mexico5
Fossil records: 2 in the Paleobiology Database5
Discovery: The first fossils were found in 1970 by Harley J. Garbani during an expedition in Baja California, Mexico. Ralph Molnar named the dinosaur Labocania anomala in 1974.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate what kind of theropod Labocania was. Some think it was a tyrannosaur, others think it was an abelisaur or a carcharodontosaur.1

Where the facts come from

Labocania (en.wikipedia.org)
PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
A New Tyrant Dinosaur from the Late Campanian of Mexico Reveals a Tribe of Southern Tyrannosaurs (mdpi.com)
A Leggy Tyrannosaur Emerges From a Mexican Desert - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Labocania in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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