Tarbosaurus bataar

Maleev, 1955
Original : PIN 553-1. 2020-0-1. MNHN.F.MOA4
Reptilia, Dinosauria, Theropoda, Tyrannosauridae
Upper Cretaceous, around 70 million years
The Nemegt Valley, Gobi Desert, Mongolia

This skeleton, only partially extracted from its matrix, belongs to a carnivorous, bipedal, theropod dinosaur, Tarbosaurus, whose name means “menacing lizard”.
The Tarbosaurus is the Asian cousin of the famous Tyrannosaurus of North America. Slightly smaller in size it could nonetheless reach a length of 10 to 12 metres. Its forelimbs were very short and only had two fingers. All of the animal’s strength was concentrated in its huge jaws and powerful hind legs.

Cast donated by the Institute for Palaeobiology of the Academy of Sciences of Poland