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The Tyrannosaurus rex is perhaps one of the most famous and terrifying dinosaurs to have roamed the Earth, but a newly discovered 4-foot cousin was probably as scary.
Known as Moros Intrepidus (which means "harbinger of fate"), this little tyrannosaur lived 100 million years ago. Despite his small size, he was still deadly, said Lindsay Zanno, a paleontologist at North Carolina State University.
"Moros was light and unusually fast," Zanno said in a statement. "These adaptations, combined with advanced sensory abilities, are the mark of a formidable predator. He could easily have shot prey while avoiding confrontation with the big predators of the day. "
SCARY DYNAMOTERREUR DISCOVERY
"Although the early Cretaceous tyrannosaurs were small, their predatory specialization allowed them to take advantage of the new opportunities offered by warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, and shrinking early Cretaceous ecosystems." Zanno added. "We now know that it took them less than 15 million years to gain power."
In addition to its small size, it is thought that it weighs only 78 kg and reaches maturity between 6 and 7 years.
Zanno and her team of researchers found teeth and a hind limb of the new Tyrannosaurus in an area where she had previously discovered Siats meekerorum, a giant carcharodontosaurus eating meat and living at the same time.
The discoveries were made in the western part of Utah, an area that was part of a "lush and deltaic environment" during the Cretaceous period.
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The results were published in Biology of communication.
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