| Nanotyrannus Fossil range: Late Cretaceous, 68.5–65.5 Ma |
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| Replica of the skull of "Jane", Burpee Museum of Natural History | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Theropoda |
| Family: | Tyrannosauridae |
| Genus: | Nanotyrannus Bakker, Currie & Williams, 1988 |
| Species | |
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Nanotyrannus ("dwarf tyrant") is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur, and is possibly a juvenile specimen of Tyrannosaurus. It is based on CMN 7541, a skull collected in 1942 and described by Charles W. Gilmore described in 1946, who gave it the new species Gorgosaurus lancensis.[1] In 1988, the specimen was re-described by Robert T. Bakker, Phil Currie, and Michael Williams, then the curator of paleontology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where the original specimen was housed and is currently on display. Initial research indicated that the skull bones were fused, and that it therefore represented an adult specimen. In light of this, Bakker and colleagues assigned the skull to a new genus, which they named Nanotyrannus for its apparently small size.[2] However, subsequent work has cast doubt on this, and some paleontologists no longer consider it a valid genus—since the fossil was a contemporary of Tyrannosaurus rex, many paleontologists now believe it to be a juvenile T. rex, especially since the discovery in 2001 of a new Nanotyrannus specimen, nicknamed "Jane." The original Nanotyrannus specimen is estimated to have been around 17 feet (5.2 meters) long when it died.
In 2001, a more complete juvenile tyrannosaur ("Jane", catalogue number BMRP 2002.4.1), belonging to the same species as the original Nanotyrannus specimen, was uncovered. In 2005, a conference on tyrannosaurs focused on the issues of Nanotyrannus validity brought about by the discovery of the Jane specimen, was held at the Burpee Museum of Natural History. Several paleontologists, such as Phil Currie and Donald M. Henderson, saw the discovery of Jane as a confirmation that Nanotyrannus was a juvenile T. rex or closely related species.[3][4] Peter Larson, on the other hand, continued to support a separate genus for Nanotyrannus.[5] The actual scientific study of Jane, set to be published by Bakker, Larson, and Currie, may help determine whether Nanotyrannus is a valid genus, whether it simply represents a juvenile T. rex, or whether it is a new species of a previously identified genus of tyrannosaur.[6]
Bakker has stated he believes Nanotyrannus hunted in packs. Teeth from multiple Nanotyrannus have been found in the bones of herbivorous dinosaurs.[7]
Popular culture
The "Quintaglios" from Robert J. Sawyer's Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy are a race of highly evolved, sentient descendants of tyrannosaurs descended from Nanotyrannus.
In 2008, Nanotyrannus was featured in the second episode of Jurassic Fight Club, a pseudo-documentary about prehistoric predators.[8] The episode addressed the ongoing scientific debate on the validity of the Nanotyrannus genus, presenting a speculative battle between two juvenile Tyrannosaurus and one Nanotyrannus (which was possibly a juvenile Tyrannosaurus). The episode depicted both genera as having pronated hands (hands with downward or backward-facing palms), something tyrannosaurids could not do.[9] The episode relied heavily on speculation to determine who would be the victor in the battle between the similar (or possibly synonymous) genera.
References
- ^ Gilmore (1946). "A new carnivorous dinosaur from the Lance Formation of Montana." Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 106: 1–19.
- ^ Bakker, Williams, and Currie (1988). "Nanotyrannus, a new genus of pygmy tyrannosaur, from the latest Cretaceous of Montana." Hunteria, 1: 1–30.
- ^ Currie, Henderson, Horner and Williams (2005). "On tyrannosaur teeth, tooth positions and the taxonomic status of Nanotyrannus lancensis." In "The origin, systematics, and paleobiology of Tyrannosauridae”, a symposium hosted jointly by Burpee Museum of Natural History and Northern Illinois University.
- ^ Henderson (2005). "Nano No More: The death of the pygmy tyrant." In "The origin, systematics, and paleobiology of Tyrannosauridae”, a symposium hosted jointly by Burpee Museum of Natural History and Northern Illinois University.
- ^ Larson (2005). "A case for Nanotyrannus." In "The origin, systematics, and paleobiology of Tyrannosauridae”, a symposium hosted jointly by Burpee Museum of Natural History and Northern Illinois University.
- ^ Mortimer, M (2004). "Tyrannosauroidea". The Theropod Database. http://home.comcast.net/~eoraptor/Tyrannosauroidea.html#Tyrannosaurusrex. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
- ^ Nordquist, Karen (2004). Karen's Komments. Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois. Last accessed 2007-03-11.
- ^ "Jurassic Fight Club: Episode Guide". History.com. 2008. http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=59542&display_order=7&mini_id=59420. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ^ Senter, Phil; Robins, James H. (2005). "Range of motion in the forelimb of the theropod dinosaur Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, and implications for predatory behaviour". Journal of Zoology (Cambridge University Press) 266: 307–318. doi:. http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=465CC964CFCD95E1F33C9833AA424D48.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=312979. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
External links
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