Asiatyrannus

Say it like this: “AY-shuh-ty-RAN-us”

Asiatyrannus xui

Asiatyrannus ate meat and walked on two legs. It lived in the Late Cretaceous. Bones have been found in China.

Quiz me on Asiatyrannus

When: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) · roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago
Named in: 2024 · Zheng, W.; Jin, X.; Xie, J.; Du, T.
Hip height: 1.6 m · 5 ft
Length: 3.5–4 m · 11–13 ft
Weight: 300 kg · 661 lb
Found in: China · Nanxiong
Food and walking: Carnivore · Two legs
Kind: sharp-clawed runner · Theropod
Family branch: Tyrannosaurinae

The story in short

Asiatyrannus was formally named in 2024 by W. Zheng and colleagues. The name means “asian tyrant.”

Fossils referred to Asiatyrannus date to the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago. Finds come from China, including the Nanxiong Formation. It was a carnivore and walked on two legs.

Published estimates put Asiatyrannus at a length near 3.5–4 m, hips about 1.6 m high, and a body mass around 300 kg.

On the family tree it sits in Tyrannosaurinae, among the theropod dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Alioramus

Alioramus remotus

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) · roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago

Daspletosaurus

Daspletosaurus torosus

Late Cretaceous (Campanian) · roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago

Dynamoterror

Dynamoterror dynastes

Late Cretaceous (Campanian) · roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago