Alioramus (; meaning 'different branch') is a
genus of
tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur from the
Late Cretaceous period of
Asia. The
type A. remotus, is known from a partial
skull and three
metatarsals recovered from
Mongolian sediments which were deposited in a humid
floodplain between 70 and 65
million years ago. These remains were named and described by
Russian paleontologist
Sergei Kurzanov in 1976. A second species,
A. altai, known from a much more complete skeleton, was named and described by
Stephen L. Brusatte and colleagues in 2009. Its relationships to other tyrannosaurid genera are unclear, with some experts believing that
Alioramus is closely related to the contemporaneous
Tarbosaurus, or is a juvenile of that genus. However, the discovery of
A. altai made it clear that the latter hypothesis was incorrect.
Alioramus was
bipedal like most theropods, and its sharp teeth indicate that it was a
carnivore. It was smaller than tyrannosaurids like
Tarbosaurus and
Tyrannosaurus, but its adult size is difficult to estimate since both species are known from juvenile or sub-adult remains.
Alioramus is characterized by the row of five bony crests along the top of its snout, has more teeth than any other tyrannosaurid and its skull is lower than those of other tyrannosaurids.
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