Moros

Moros is the oldest Cretaceous tyrannosauroid ever found in North America, pushing the record back by about 15 million years.1

It weighed only about 78 kilograms (172 pounds), making it one of the smallest tyrannosauroids of the Cretaceous.1

The fossil is a partial hind leg from an animal that was nearly full-grown at 6 to 7 years old.1

Moros had long, slender legs built for running fast, a very different body plan from later giant tyrannosaurs.1

Its name comes from Greek and Latin words meaning 'doom' and 'intrepid', referring to the arrival of tyrannosaurs in North America.1

Moros lived in a coastal mudflat environment about 96 million years ago.1