The Fearsome Predator
Albertosaurus was a large carnivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 70 to 66 million years ago.
| Meaning | Alberta lizard (named after Alberta, Canada) [Alberto-saurus] |
| Pronunciation | al-BER-toh-SORE-us |
| When: | Late Cretaceous (about 70–68 million years ago) |
| Where: | North America (Canada, USA) |
| What: | Theropod (tyrannosaurid) |
| Weight: | Estimated around 2 metric tons |
| Length: | Approximately 9 meters (30 feet) |
| Diet: | Carnivorous (ate other dinosaurs and large animals) |
| Discovered: | First described by Henry Fairfield Osborn in 1905 |
Named after the Canadian province of Alberta, where its fossils were first discovered, Albertosaurus was a close relative of the more famous Tyrannosaurus rex but slightly smaller.
Albertosaurus measured about 9 meters (30 feet) in length and weighed around 2 tons.
It had a massive skull with sharp, serrated teeth designed for slicing through flesh.
Its strong hind legs and powerful tail made it a fast and agile predator, capable of chasing down prey such as hadrosaurs and other herbivorous dinosaurs.
One interesting aspect of Albertosaurus is the evidence suggesting that they may have hunted in packs. Fossil sites containing multiple individuals of varying ages have been discovered, hinting at possible social behavior and group hunting strategies.