Name:
Teratophoneus (Greek for "monstrous murderer"); pronounced teh-RAT-oh-FOE-nee-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of North America
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (75 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 20 feet long and one ton
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Moderate size; relatively blunt snout
About Teratophoneus:
If you're of a classical bent, you'll probably be impressed by the name Teratophoneus, which is Greek for "monstrous murderer." The fact is, though, that this newly discovered tyrannosaur wasn't all that big compared to other members of its breed, only weighing in the neighborhood of a single ton (a fraction of the size of its North American relative Tyrannosaurus Rex). The importance of Teratophoneus is that (like its fellow tyrannosaur Bistahieversor) it lived in the southwestern rather than the north-central U.S., and may have represented an evolutionary offshoot of the tyrannosaur family, as evidenced by its unusually blunt skull.
