| “ | A huge predator, a Tarbosaurus. That's the Asian cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex. Scary, but a thrill. | „ |
| — Allen about Tarbosaurus in The Giant Claw | ||
Tarbosaurus (name meaning "Alarming Lizard") is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Asia. Measuring 12 meters in length and weighing 5 tons, Tarbosaurus was the second-largest member of the Tyrannosaur family, after Tyrannosaurus itself. Tarbosaurus was the apex predator of its region, hunting large prey items such as Saurolophus, one of the largest herbivores in its area, as well as its natural enemy, Therizinosaurus.
In the Series 2 episode, "The Giant Claw," a mating pair of Tarbosaurus were brought to the park from Late Cretaceous Mongolia, 80 million years ago. They reside in the Tyrannosaur Kingdom Enclosure with other tyrannosaurs, especially Tyrannosaurus.
Facts[]
Era & Discovery[]
By far the largest and apex predator of its ecosystem, Tarbosaurus lived in Mongolia, Asia during the Late Cretaceous period, around 80 million years ago, and died out with all the other dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous, about 65 million years ago. As some of the first members of the tyrannosaur family, Tarbosaurus shared its environment with fauna such as Velociraptor, Mononykus, Protoceratops, Saurolophus, and Therizinosaurus. Tarbosaurus was first discovered in Mongolia in 1946.
Physical Attributes[]
As the second largest member of the tyrannosaur family, after Tyrannosaurus itself, Tarbosaurus was one of the largest theropod dinosaurs that ever walked the Earth. They stood 15 – 16 feet (4 – 5 m) tall, measured between 32 – 43 feet (9 – 13 m) long, and weighed up to 4 – 6 tons (8,000 – 13,000 lbs.). One large individual measured 46 feet (14.1 m) in length.
Being the Asian cousin of its American relatives Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Daspletosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus, Tarbosaurus had the basic body plan of a generic theropod dinosaur. It was similar to its close and larger relative, Tyrannosaurus, but had a sleeker, slimmer head. It also had completely grey scales. Tarbosaurus would occasionally walk vertically, in order to balance its massive head with the rest of its body.
The top predator of Mongolia at the end of the Late Cretaceous period, Tarbosaurus was the largest terrestrial predators of their region because they stood tall and stood vertically. Their small arms at the front helped balance their massive heads with their huge skulls and massive teeth for making devastating bites into prey and pulling out chunks of flesh. In addition, Tarbosaurus had good hearing.
Behavior & Traits[]
Unlike most other members of the tyrannosaur family that hunted in packs, Tarbosaurus was often a solitary hunter, only getting together in groups during mating season. However, they have been known to hunt in packs on some occasion. Tarbosaurus was an aggressive apex predator that hunted alone and would attack probably any other animal in the Mongolian Desert. Perhaps the only animal that posed a threat to a Tarbosaurus - save for another of its own species - was its natural enemy, Therizinosaurus.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Tarbosaurus was the first member of the tyrannosaur family brought to the park.
- Additionally, it is also the fourth largest predatory dinosaur of the cretaceous.
- The sound effects of Tarbosaurus are that of cheetah, jaguar, leopard, lion, and tiger sound effects as well as the roars of the Tyrannosaurus rex featured in "Jurassic Fight Club.
- Tarbosaurus was actually larger than Therizinosaurus, as opposed to as large.