Lythronax facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lythronax |
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| Reconstructed skeleton alongside those of other tyrannosaurs, Science Center of Iowa | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Family: | †Tyrannosauridae |
| Subfamily: | †Tyrannosaurinae |
| Genus: | †Lythronax Loewen et al., 2013 |
| Type species | |
| †Lythronax argestes Loewen et al., 2013
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Lythronax (say "LYTH-roh-nax") was a super cool dinosaur that lived a very long time ago, about 80 million years ago! It was a type of tyrannosaur, just like the famous Tyrannosaurus rex. This amazing creature lived in what is now southern Utah, in the United States.
Scientists believe Lythronax was one of the oldest known tyrannosaurs. It was a theropod, which means it walked on two legs and was a meat-eater.
Contents
Meet Lythronax: The "Gore King"
Lythronax means "gore king," which is a pretty fierce name for a dinosaur! This name gives us a hint about how powerful this animal might have been. It was a top predator in its environment.
Size and Weight
Lythronax was a big dinosaur. Scientists think it was about 8 meters (26 feet) long. That's longer than a school bus! It weighed around 2.5 tons (5,500 pounds), which is as heavy as a large car.
A Mighty Skull
One of the most interesting parts of Lythronax was its huge skull. It was very wide, almost half as wide as it was long. This wide skull might have given it great vision, especially looking forward, which is helpful for hunting.
Sharp Teeth for Hunting
Inside its strong jaws, Lythronax had many sharp teeth. The first five teeth in its mouth were much bigger than the others. These large, strong teeth were perfect for grabbing and tearing apart its prey. Its skull looked a lot like the skulls of other famous tyrannosaurs, like Tyrannosaurus and Tarbosaurus.
Body Structure
Behind its impressive skull, the rest of Lythronax's body was similar to other tyrannosaurs. It had a strong, muscular body built for power and speed.
Where Lythronax Lived
Lythronax lived in a place called Laramidia during the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period. Laramidia was a large island continent that existed when a big inland sea, called the Western Interior Seaway, split North America in two.
Ancient Utah
The part of Laramidia where Lythronax roamed is now southern Utah. This area was a warm, swampy place with lots of plants and other dinosaurs. It was a perfect environment for a large predator like Lythronax to thrive.
Discovery of Lythronax
The first fossils of Lythronax were found in 2009 in the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in Utah. Scientists found parts of its skull, hips, and leg bones. These fossils helped them understand what this amazing dinosaur looked like and how it lived.
Naming the Dinosaur
Scientists Philip J. Currie and Scott D. Sampson were part of the team that studied these fossils. They officially named Lythronax in 2013. The discovery of Lythronax helped scientists learn more about how tyrannosaurs evolved and spread across the ancient world.
Images for kids
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Life restoration showing hypothetical feathers
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Reconstructed skeleton at Science Center of Iowa
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Skull reconstruction (A), known skull bones (B), and selected skull bones of the holotype (C–J)
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Paleomap of North America during the Campanian age; Lythronax lived in southern Laramidia (lower left).
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Correlation between sea level change and evolutionary diversification of Tyrannosauroidea as hypothesized by Loewen and colleagues in 2013
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Reconstructed skeleton in front view, UMNH
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See also
In Spanish: Lythronax argestes para niños
