Tarbosaurus bataar

Overview

Tarbosaurus, meaning "alarming lizard," was Asia's answer to Tyrannosaurus rex! Living during the Late Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago in what is now Mongolia, this massive predator was one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs in its ecosystem—and it was so similar to T. rex that some scientists think they might be the same animal!

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Taxonomy & Classification

• Clade: Theropoda
• Family: Tyrannosauridae
• Diet: Carnivorous
• Locomotion: Bipedal

Tarbosaurus was T. rex's closest known relative—possibly even the same genus!

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Physical Characteristics

Massive Predator

• Length: 10-12 meters (33-40 feet)
• Weight: 4,000-5,000 kg (4.5-5.5 tons)
• Height: About 4 meters (13 feet) at hip
• Skull: About 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) long!

Body Features

• Massive skull with bone-crushing jaws
• Tiny arms (even smaller than T. rex!)
• Powerful legs for running
• Long, heavy tail for balance
• Excellent senses—smell, sight, hearing

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Tarbosaurus vs. T. rex

Almost Twins!

Feature	Tarbosaurus	T. rex
Location	Asia (Mongolia)	North America
Length	10-12m	12-13m
Arms	Even tinier!	Tiny
Skull	Narrower	Wider
Time	70 million years	68-66 million years

Some scientists think Tarbosaurus IS a species of Tyrannosaurus!

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The Tiny Arms Mystery

Even Smaller Than T. rex!

Tarbosaurus had proportionally smaller arms than T. rex:

• Only two fingers (T. rex also had two)
• Arms were almost useless for grabbing
• Couldn't even reach its mouth!
• Why? Scientists still debate!

Possible arm uses:

• Holding onto prey briefly
• Helping get up from lying down
• Maybe for mating displays?

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Hunting & Diet

Apex Predator of Asia

Tarbosaurus hunted:

• Saurolophus (duck-billed dinosaur)
• Therizinosaurus (weird clawed dinosaur)
• Nemegtosaurus (sauropod)
• Anything it could catch and kill!

Hunting Style

• Used surprise ambush attacks
• Delivered crushing bites to prey
• Bite could crush bone
• May have been a scavenger too

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Bite Force

Bone-Crushing Jaws

• One of the strongest bites of any animal
• Could crush bone like T. rex
• Serrated teeth like steak knives
• Could rip through muscle and bone
• Swallowed huge chunks of meat whole

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Living in Mongolia

The Nemegt Formation

Tarbosaurus lived in:

• Semi-arid floodplains
• Alongside many dinosaur species
• Rivers and seasonal lakes
• What is now the Gobi Desert
• Much wetter than today!

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Prey Dinosaurs

What Tarbosaurus Hunted

Prey	Type	Size
Saurolophus	Hadrosaur	8-9m
Nemegtosaurus	Sauropod	10-15m
Therizinosaurus	Weird theropod	8-10m

Tarbosaurus was the top of the food chain!

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Discovery & Fossils

Found in the Gobi

• First discovered in 1946 by Soviet expedition
• Named in 1955
• Many specimens found in Mongolia
• Some of the best-preserved tyrannosaur fossils
• Including juveniles and adults!

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Fossil Poaching Problem

Illegal Trade

Sadly, Tarbosaurus fossils have been:

• Illegally excavated from Mongolia
• Smuggled to other countries
• Sold for millions of dollars
• Several have been returned to Mongolia
• Highlights need for fossil protection

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Cool Facts

• Tarbosaurus had even tinier arms than T. rex proportionally!
• Some scientists call it "Tyrannosaurus bataar"
• It's the largest known Asian tyrannosaur
• A famous fossil was smuggled to the US and returned to Mongolia
• Had a bite force of possibly 8,000+ pounds!
• Juveniles looked quite different from adults
• Lived in what is now one of the driest places on Earth
• May have lived in family groups

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Tarbosaurus was Asia's ultimate predator—a close cousin of T. rex that ruled the ancient Mongolian plains with the same terrifying power!