Alamotyrannus

Credit: Cisiopurple on DeviantArt.

"Alamotyrannus" is a naked and possibly dubious genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in New Mexico during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

Alamotyranus lived 70 million years ago during the Maastrichtian, just 2 million years before the oldest Tyrannosaurus specimen. The proposed species is ""Alamotyrannus brinkmani", if it is distinguished from Tyrannosaurus. The remains were anonymously discovered in the 2000s.

"Alamotyrannus" was first thought to be described by Dalman in 2013, the author stating in 2015 that the taxon would need more material to be described. There are two specimens that have been suggested to be from "Alamotyrannus": UMNH 11000 (Utah, North Horn Formation) and TMM 41436-1 named as *Tyrannosaurus "vannus"* (Texas, Javelina Formation). These specimens are are Maastrichtian, overlapping with *Tyrannosaurus* and each other. All have been properly described, but have been assigned to *T. rex* or *T.* sp.. Additionally, some teeth, the 1-meter-long femur SMP VP-1113 and dorsal vertebrae described by Gilmore in 1919 have been assigned to "Alamotyrannus" on a blog by a "Mortimer" (Mickey Mortimer?). This person estimates the size of "Alamotyrannus" at 12 meters. Since Gilmore's description of some elements is vague (the remains are "very large"), it has been suggested this person knows more about the vertebrae. The material Mortimer counts as "Alamotyrannus" is all from the Early Maastrichtian Ojo Alamo Formation, which places it as younger. Some think "Alamotyrannus" was an ancestor to Tyrannosaurus, and others think it should be named "Tyrannosaurus brinkmani". Apparently, vertebrae are known from USNM and is similar to *Daspletosaurus* (with a light body and hunting small-medium prey).

"Alamotyrannus" was reportedly made a nomen nudum on accident, and is also apparently to be published under another name.

## Notable Specimens

* TMM 41436-1: A left maxilla with fragmented dentition from the Javelina Formation, referred on an online blog. It was first attributed to a young adult specimen but reexamination in 2014 confirmed it was a subadult. Whatever species this element is from, it was smaller than *Tyrannosaurus*.
* TMM 46028-1: An anterior caudal from Javelina. It bears a centrum, a partial neural arch zygapophyses found in situ in the fluvial sandstones of the "Willow" locality.
* Perot Museum tyrannosaurid leg: An undescribed lower leg and pes from an individual of similar size and age of TMM 41436-1. It is on display at the Perot Museum. BIBE 45850 is the tibia.
* ACM 7975: As described by Dave Hone, an indeterminate tyrannosaur dentary that is far too distorted and poorly preserved to ascribe to a new or already existing taxon. In the Beneski Museum of Natural History, it is mislabeled as *Gorgosaurus libratus*, though this has been disputed. It has sometimes been referred to as "Alamotyrannus". It was discovered in 1924.

## Gallery

A size chart of tyrannosaurs "similar to *Daspletosaurus*. "A. brinkmani" is 8.ACM 7975 on display at the Beneski Museum of Natural History.
**Credit: Taylor McCoy.**
## References

1. ↑ Dalman, S.G. and S.G. Lucas. A new large Tyrannosaurid Alamotyrannus brinkmani, n. gen., n. sp. (Theropoda: Tyrannosauridae), from the Upper Cretaceous Ojo Alamo Formation (Naashoibito Member), San Juan Basin, New Mexico. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin (2013)
2. ↑ https://dinoanimals.com/dinosaurs/huge-dinosaurs-youve-never-heard-of/
3. ↑ https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780691190594-013/pdf
4. ↑ The authors when questioned
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667114000500
6. ↑ https://www.skyemcdavid.com/blog/acm-7975