Photo by durhamskywriter on Flickr
Learn Before You Go
- Scientific Name: Albertosaurus
- Pronunciation: al-BUHR-toh-SAWR-us
- Name Means: Lizard from Alberta
- Diet: Carnivore
- Fossils Found: Throughout North America from Alberta, Canada to Baja California
- Wikipedia: Albertosaurus
Where's the T. Rex?
We knew many visitors would be looking for something like a T. rex on the trail, but decided to feature an early relative of the T. rex instead, the Albertosaurus.
Many Albertosaurus skeletons have been found so paleontologists know them well. We thought by featuring this animal, we could introduce a lesser known species to our visitors.
Choosing Albertosaurus also allowed us to place it right at the end of the entry pathway, creating a dramatic start to the exhibition. The Styracosaurus that the Albertosaurus is looking at had become extinct by the time the T. rex evolved into existence so we would not have been able to place a T. rex in that same setting.
The skeleton of Albertosaurus on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
