Name:
Aublysodon (Greek for "backward-flowing tooth"); pronounced ow-blih-SO-don
Habitat:
Woodlands of North America
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (70-65 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 15 feet long and 500-1,000 pounds
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Medium size; tyrannosaur-like body
About Aublyosodon:
If Aublyosodon were being examined today, the diagnostic material representing this dinosaur (a single fossilized tooth) probably wouldn't be widely accepted by the paleontological community. However, this presumed tyrannosaur was discovered and named way back in 1868, when accepted practices were much less strict, by the famous paleontologist Joseph Leidy (best known for his association with Hadrosaurus). As you can guess, Aublysodon may or may not merit its own genus; most paleontologists think this was a species of an existing genus of tyrannosaur, or possibly a juvenile (considering that it only measured about 15 feet long from head to tail).
