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Yutyrannus

Say it: yoo-tee-RAN-us

Name means: “feathered tyrant”1

Ate: MeatTyrannosaursEarly Cretaceous

Yutyrannus was a big, feathered dinosaur that lived in China about 125 million years ago. It was a cousin of T. rex, but it had feathers all over its body. Scientists found three nearly complete skeletons, which helps us learn a lot about this amazing creature.2 1

Lived

126 to 120 million years ago5

Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Liaoning Province, China2 1

Length

7.5 to 10 m (25 to 33 ft)1

estimates vary; the largest specimen was about 10 m long

Weight

1.1 tonnes to 1.414 tonnes (2,400 to 3,100 lb)1

Height

2.5 to 3.5 m (8.2 to 11 ft)1 2

hip height estimated from femur length and typical theropod proportions

Top speed

about 34 km/h (21 mph)

Running, estimate

What did Yutyrannus eat?

It was a carnivore, meaning it ate meat. It may have hunted in packs to take down large prey like sauropods.

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How tall was it?

hip height estimated from femur length and typical theropod proportions

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 71 dogs

as long as 2 cars parked in a rowas long as 56 bananas end to endas heavy as 280 watermelonsas heavy as 74 kindergarten kidsas heavy as 44 school kidsas heavy as 3 polar bearscould run 100 metres in 11 seconds (the fastest human needs 9.6)

How big was Yutyrannus compared to YOU?

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

How fast was it?

A person walking about 5 km/h (3 mph)

A kid on a bike about 12 km/h (7 mph)

Yutyrannus about 34 km/h (21 mph)

A galloping horse about 65 km/h (40 mph)

A cheetah about 100 km/h (62 mph)

cool stuff

Fun facts

Yutyrannus is the largest dinosaur ever found with direct evidence of feathers. It was about 40 times heavier than the previous record holder, Beipiaosaurus.1

The feathers of Yutyrannus were long and filamentous, up to 20 centimetres (7.9 inches) long. They may have covered most of its body.1

Yutyrannus lived during the early Cretaceous period, about 125 million years ago. That is about 55 million years before T. rex appeared.2 1

The three known Yutyrannus fossils were found together, which suggests they may have lived and hunted in packs.1

Yutyrannus had a bite force of about 2,405 newtons (540 pounds-force). That is strong, but much weaker than the bite of T. rex.1

The climate where Yutyrannus lived was cool, with an average annual temperature of about 10 °C (50 °F). Its feathers may have helped keep it warm.1

AI-made picture of Yutyrannus — An AI-made picture of how Yutyrannus 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 Yutyrannus

?How big was Yutyrannus?

About 7.5 to 10 metres long, and weighed around 1,100 to 1,414 kilograms.3 1

?Did Yutyrannus have feathers?

Yes. Fossil imprints show it had long, filamentous feathers up to 20 centimetres long, making it the largest dinosaur with direct evidence of feathers.2 1

?What did Yutyrannus eat?

It was a carnivore, meaning it ate meat. It may have hunted in packs to take down large prey like sauropods.3

?Was Yutyrannus bigger than T. rex?

No. Yutyrannus was about 7.5 to 10 metres long, while T. rex could grow to over 12 metres. T. rex was larger.3

?When did Yutyrannus live?

It lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 125 million years ago. That is about 55 million years before T. rex appeared.3 1

?Where was Yutyrannus found?

Its fossils were found in Liaoning Province, northeastern China, in rocks of the Yixian Formation.3 1

?Why did Yutyrannus have a crest?

The wavy crest on its snout was probably used for display, like to attract mates or show off.1 4

?How fast could Yutyrannus run?

Scientists are not sure exactly, but its short foot was not specialized for running, so it was probably not very fast.1

?Is Yutyrannus a dinosaur?

Yes, it is a dinosaur. It belongs to the group Tyrannosauroidea, which includes T. rex and its relatives.3 1

Ask Rex about Yutyrannus

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Myth buster

Myth: All large dinosaurs were scaly, not feathered.

Truth: Yutyrannus shows that even some very large dinosaurs, like this 10-metre-long tyrannosaur, had feathers.2 1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Yutyrannus
Named by: Xu et al. 20125
Group: Tyrannosaurs
Family / clade: Proceratosauridae5
Classification: Theropoda > Tyrannosauroidea5
Age of the rocks: 126 to 120 million years (Barremian / Aptian)5
Rock formations: Yixian5
Countries: China5
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database5
Discovery: Yutyrannus was named and described by Xu Xing and colleagues in 2012. The three fossils were bought from a fossil dealer who said they came from a single quarry in Liaoning, China.1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure if the feathers covered the whole body or only certain parts. They also debate whether later, larger tyrannosaurs like T. rex had feathers as adults.1

Where the facts come from

Yutyrannus (en.wikipedia.org)
A gigantic feathered dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China | Nature (nature.com)
Yutyrannus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Dinosaurs - Yutyrannus huali - The Australian Museum (australian.museum)
Yutyrannus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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