Genus

Valid Extinct

Daspletosaurus

Russell 1970

Etymology effroyable reptile carnivore

Daspletosaurus is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur that lived in Laramidia between about 79 and 74.4 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period. The genus Daspletosaurus contains three named species. Fossils of the earlier type species, D. torosus, have been found in Alberta, while fossils of a later species, D. horneri, have been found in Montana and Alberta. D. wilsoni has been suggested as an intermediate species between D. torosus and D. horneri that evolved through anagenesis, though further research may be required to definitively support the theory.

Temporal range

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

Paleogene

Neogene

252 201 145 66 0 Ma

PBDB occurrences

Group

Dinosaures

Carnivore Ground dwelling, solitary Terrestrial

click to enlarge

Skeletal cast of Daspletosaurus torosus on display at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Part of the Tyrannosaurs: Meet the Family traveling exhibit developed by The Australian Museum. © WehaveaTrex · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗

Classification

Dinosauria Unranked clade

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Theropoda Unranked clade

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Neotheropoda Unranked clade

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Averostra Unranked clade

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Tetanurae Unranked clade

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Coelurosauria Unranked clade

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Tyrannosauroidea Superfamily

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Tyrannosauridae Family

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Tyrannosaurinae Subfamily

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Daspletosaurini Unranked clade

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Daspletosaurus Genus

Measurements

Length

8,7 m ⓘ

Daspletosaurus horneri — min connu

9,3 m ⓘ

Daspletosaurus torosus — max connu

9 m ⓘ

Mass

2 500 kg ⓘ

Daspletosaurus horneri — min connu

3 100 kg ⓘ

Daspletosaurus torosus — max connu

2 500 kg ⓘ

Fossil sites 21 geolocated sites

Distribution

Top countries

🇺🇸 United States

🇨🇦 Canada

Geological formations

Two Medicine

Oldman

Dinosaur Park

Mesaverde

Judith River

Kirtland

Ojo Alamo

Temporal distribution

Maastrichtian (72.2–66 Ma)

Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)

Species (3)

Daspletosaurus horneri 84 Ma

Daspletosaurus torosus 84 Ma

Daspletosaurus wilsoni 84 Ma

Images 7

Bibliography (14)

C. C. Coppock, M. J. Powers, and J. T. Voris, P. J. Currie. 2025. First occurrence of Daspletosaurus horneri (Tyrannosauridae, Tyrannosaurinae) in the Dinosaur Park Formation of Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta (Treaty 7 Territory). Historical Biology DOI ↗

C. C. Coppock, M. J. Powers, and J. T. Voris, H. S. Sharpe, P. J. Currie. 2024. Immature Daspletosaurus sp. specimens from the Dinosaur Park Formation provide insight into ontogenetically invariant tyrannosaurid cranial morphology. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 61(12):1227-1239 DOI ↗

E. A. Warshaw and D. W. Fowler. 2022. A transitional species of Daspletosaurus Russell, 1970 from the Judith River Formation of eastern Montana. PeerJ 10:e14461 DOI ↗

G. F. Funston, M. J. Powers, and S. A. Whitebone, S. L. Brusatte, J. B. Scannella, J. R. Horner, P. J. Currie. 2021. Baby tyrannosaurid bones and teeth from the Late Cretaceous of western North America 1. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 58(9):756–777 DOI ↗

A. L. Titus, K. Knoll, and J. J. W. Sertich, D. Yamamura, C. A. Suarez, I. J. Glasspool, J. E. Ginouves, A. K. Lukacic, E. M. Roberts. 2021. Geology and taphonomy of a unique tyrannosaurid bonebed from the upper Campanian Kaiparowits Formation of southern Utah: implications for tyrannosaurid gregariousness. PeerJ 9:e11013:1-50 DOI ↗

C.-g. Yun. 2020. A subadult frontal of Daspletosaurus torosus (Theropoda: Tyrannosauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada with implications for tyrannosaurid ontogeny and taxonomy. Palarch’s Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology 17(2):1-13

T. D. Carr, D. J. Varricchio, and J. C. Sedlmayr, E. M. Roberts, J. R. Moore. 2017. A new tyrannosaur with evidence for anagenesis and crocodile-like facial sensory system. Scientific Reports 7:44942:1-11 DOI ↗

M. T. Carrano. 2006. Fossil Vertebrate Collections, Museum of the Rockies

D. G. DeMar, Jr. and B. H. Breithaupt. 2006. The nonmammalian vertebrate microfossil assemblages of the Mesaverde Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Campanian) of the Wind River and Bighorn Basins, Wyoming. Late Cretaceous Vertebrates from the Western Interior. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 35:33-54

D. W. Fowler and R. M. Sullivan. 2006. A ceratopsid pelvis with toothmarks from the Upper Cretaceous Kirtland Formation, New Mexico: evidence of Late Campanian tyrannosaurid feeding behavior. In: S. G. Lucas & R. M. Sullivan, Late Cretaceous Vertebrates from the Western Interior. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 35:127-130

P. J. Currie. 2005. History of research. Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ancient Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press, Bloomington

R. M. Sullivan, S. G. Lucas, and D. R. Braman. 2005. Dinosaurs, pollen, and the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in the San Juan Basin. New Mexico Geological Society, 56th Field Conference, Geology of the Chama Basin. New Mexico Geological Society Guidebook 56:395-407 DOI ↗

M. J. Ryan and A. P. Russell. 2001. Dinosaurs of Alberta (exclusive of Aves). Mesozoic Vertebrate Life

D. J. Varricchio. 2001. Gut contents from a Cretaceous tyrannosaurid: implications for theropod dinosaur digestive tracts. Journal of Paleontology 75(2):401-406 DOI ↗

Daspletosaurus

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