FIELD NOTES
Date: Cretaceous Period
Site: North America
Subject: Albertosaurus
Participants: C. Monroe
Albertosaurus, known scientifically as Albertosaurus libratus, was a large meat-eating dinosaur that lived at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Fossils of Albertosaurus have been found in the northern part of North America, mostly in Canada, Alaska, Wyoming, and Montana.
Albertosaurus was a large theropod that was closely related to Tyrannosaurus rex, and looks like a slightly smaller version of its famous cousin. It had a large, strong skull that contained 80 curved teeth. It was about 9 meters (30 feet) long, and could weigh up to 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds)!
Scientists have been trying to discover if Albertosaurus was a hunter, or a scavenger. Its forward-facing eyes probably gave it good depth perception, and it likely also had a great sense of smell. Both of those qualities would help make it an excellent hunter. Some scientists even believe that Albertosaurus hunted in packs!
Most scientists currently believe that Albertosaurus used both hunting and scavenging to get food. They would hunt dinosaurs like Hadrosaurs, the duck-billed dinosaurs, but also scavenge from a carcass if they happened to find one. Using both strategies would help them find enough food to support their huge bodies.
Like its cousin T. rex, Albertosaurus had very short arms that ended in two-fingered hands. Most people might think these little arms were useless, but scientists aren’t so sure! They’ve found heavy scarring on Albertosaurus arms that suggest they were using their arms for something. Scientists just have to figure out what!
Marginal comment: I wouldn’t want to run into one of these in the middle of a dark forest!
Want to learn more? Check out these sources!
https://www.sdnhm.org/exhibitions/fossil-mysteries/fossil-field-guide-a-z/albertosaurus/
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dino-directory/albertosaurus.html