Daspletosaurus (name meaning "Frightful Lizard") is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now North America. Measuring 10 meters long, weighing around 4 tons, and related to the much larger Tyrannosaurus, Daspletosaurus was the third-largest member of the tyrannosaurs.
In the Series 2 episode "Super Croc II: River of Death", a mating pair of Daspletosaurus had unintentionally followed the team through the portal from Late Cretaceous North America, 75 million years ago. They reside in the Tyrannosaur Kingdom Enclosure with their relatives, including Tyrannosaurus.
Facts[]
Era & Discovery[]
Daspletosaurus lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous period up until the extinction at the end of the Cretaceous, from 77 to 65 million years ago. An apex predator, Daspletosaurus was at the top of the food chain, preying on ankylosaurs, ceratopsians, and hadrosaurs. In some areas, Daspletosaurus coexisted with two other tyrannosaurids, Gorgosaurus and Albertosaurus.
Daspletosaurus was discovered in 1921 near Steveville, Alberta, by Charles Mortram Sternberg, who thought it was a new species of Gorgosaurus. It was not until 1970 that the specimen was fully described by Dale Russell, who made it the type of a new genus, Daspletosaurus.
Physical Attributes[]
Daspletosaurus was a very large predator. In fact, it was the third-largest member of the tyrannosaur family, behind Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. Adults grew to stand 11 – 15 feet (3 – 4 m) tall at the hips, measured over 26 – 35 feet (8 – 10 m) long snout to tail, and weighed around 3 – 4 tons (6,000 – 8,000 lbs), making Daspletosaurus one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs ever to walk the Earth.
Daspletosaurus shared the same body form as other tyrannosaurids; a short, S-shaped neck supporting a massive skull; walking on two thick hindlimbs; extremely small forelimbs baring only two digits; a long, heavy tail served as a counterweight to the head and torso, with the center of gravity over the hips. An adult Daspletosaurus was armed with around six dozen teeth that were very long and blade-like.
Behavior & Traits[]
Daspletosaurus skeleton
Like many tyrannosaurids and other theropod dinosaurs, Daspletosaurus lived and hunted in packs, of around 3 to 4 individuals. When hunting, one member of the pack would chase their selected prey, separating them from the herd, and chase them towards the other awaiting members of the packs. Once done, the hidden pack members burst out from their hiding places and struck out, killing their prey instantly.
Female Daspletosaurus were very protective of their young. However, despite their ability to hunt in packs, Daspletosaurus were also cannibals.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The sound effects of Daspletosaurus are that of crocodile, leopard, tiger, and walrus as well as Vastatosaurus Rex roars from King Kong (2005).
- The Daspletosaurus featured in the series are larger than their real-life counterparts. In reality, they were roughly the same size as tyrannosaurs like Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus.