PBDB Taxon

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Tyrannosaurus rex (tyrant lizard king)

Reptilia - Tyrannosauridae

Taxonomy

Tyrannosaurus rex was named by Osborn (1905). Its type specimen is NMC 9380 =AMNH 973, a partial skeleton (scapula), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Quarry No. 1, Sieber Ranch (AMNH), which is in a Maastrichtian terrestrial sandstone in the Lance Formation of Montana.

Synonyms

Tyrannosaurus imperator was named by Paul et al. (2022). Its type specimen is FMNH PR2081, a skeleton, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is "Sue" site (PROXY), which is in a Maastrichtian coarse channel fill sandstone in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tyrannosaurus rex by Carr et al. (2022).
Tyrannosaurus regina was named by Paul et al. (2022). Its type specimen is USNM 555000, a partial skeleton, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is MOR HC-069, Wankel T-Rex, which is in a Maastrichtian coarse channel fill sandstone in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tyrannosaurus rex by Carr et al. (2022).
Dynamosaurus imperiosus was named by Osborn (1905). Its type specimen is AMNH 5866 and is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Seven Mile Creek (AMNH), which is in a Maastrichtian terrestrial claystone/siltstone in the Lance Formation of Wyoming.

It was recombined as Tyrannosaurus imperiosus by Walker (1964) and Swinton (1970); it was synonymized subjectively with Tyrannosaurus rex by Matthew and Brown (1922), Hay (1930), Kuhn (1939), Gilmore (1946), Steel (1970), Paul (1988), Molnar et al. (1990), Molnar (1991), Carpenter (1992), Derstler (1994), Breithaupt (1997), Currie (2003) and Holtz (2004).
Aublysodon molnaris was named by Paul (1988). It is not extant. Its type specimen is LACM 28471. Its type locality is LACM 7245, Engdahl Ranch, which is in a Maastrichtian terrestrial claystone in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana.

It was synonymized subjectively with Aublysodon mirandus by Molnar and Carpenter (1989) and Lehman and Carpenter (1990); it was recombined as Stygivenator molnari by Olshevsky (1995) and Olshevsky (2000); it was synonymized subjectively with Tyrannosaurus rex by Currie (2003), Holtz (2004) and Carr and Williamson (2004).
Gorgosaurus lancensis was named by Gilmore (1946). Its type specimen is CMNH 7541, a skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Sand Creek, Carter County (CMNH 7541), which is in a Maastrichtian terrestrial horizon in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana.

It was recombined as Aublysodon lancensis by Charig (1967); it was recombined as Albertosaurus lancensis by Russell (1970), Kurzanov (1976), Molnar (1978), Molnar (1980), Gauthier (1986), Paul (1988) and Carpenter (1992); it was recombined as Nanotyrannus lancensis by Bakker et al. (1988), Molnar et al. (1990), Molnar (1991), Currie (1992), Currie et al. (2003), Currie (2003), Holtz (2004), DePalma et al. (2015) and Dalman et al. (2018); it was synonymized subjectively with Tyrannosaurus rex by Carr (1999), Holtz (2001), Rauhut (2003), Carr and Williamson (2004) and Woodward et al. (2020).
Manospondylus gigas was named by Cope (1892). Its type specimen is AMNH 3982, a set of vertebrae, and it is a 3D body fossil. It is the type species of Manospondylus.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Osborn (1916); it was considered a nomen vanum by Matthew and Brown (1922); it was synonymized subjectively with Tyrannosaurus rex by Steel (1970), Molnar et al. (1990), Currie (2003) and Holtz (2004).
Albertosaurus megagracilis was named by Paul (1988). It is not extant. Its type specimen is LACM 28345. Its type locality is Engdahl Ranch (LACM), which is in a Maastrichtian terrestrial horizon in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. It is the type species of Dinotyrannus.

It was recombined as Dinotyrannus megagracilis by Olshevsky (1995) and Olshevsky (2000); it was synonymized subjectively with Tyrannosaurus rex by Currie (2003), Holtz (2004) and Carr and Williamson (2004).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1892	Manospondylus gigas Cope p. 757
1902	Manospondylus gigas Hay p. 500
1905	Tyrannosaurus rex Osborn p. 259
1905	Dynamosaurus imperiosus Osborn pp. 263-4 fig. 2
1906	Tyrannosaurus rex Anonymous p. 15
1906	Tyrannosaurus rex Krull p. 350
1906	Tyrannosaurus rex Osborn p. 284
1907	Tyrannosaurus rex Brown p. 841
1907	Manospondylus gigas Hatcher et al. p. 113
1908	Tyrannosaurus rex Abel p. 211
1912	Tyrannosaurus rex Fraas p. 9
1914	Tyrannosaurus rex Brown p. 358
1914	Tyrannosaurus rex Huene p. 578
1915	Tyrannosaurus rex Huene p. 22 fig. 14
1915	Tyrannosaurus rex Stromer p. 7
1919	Tyrannosaurus rex Holland p. 38–39
1920	Tyrannosaurus rex Pompeckj p. 119
1922	Tyrannosaurus rex Matthew and Brown pp. 377-378
1927	Tyrannosaurus rex Huene p. 260
1930	Tyrannosaurus rex Hay p. 180
1930	Manospondylus gigas Hay p. 183
1930	Tyrannosaurus rex Moodie p. 88
1930	Tyrannosaurus rex Russell p. 140
1931	Tyrannosaurus rex Stromer p. 9
1933	Tyrannosaurus rex Gilmore p. 35
1934	Tyrannosaurus rex Stromer p. 35
1934	Tyrannosaurus rex Swinton p. 30
1935	Tyrannosaurus rex Parks p. 195
1935	Tyrannosaurus rex Young
1936	Tyrannosaurus rex Stromer p. 83
1939	Manospondylus gigas Kuhn p. 81
1939	Tyrannosaurus rex Kuhn p. 82
1940	Tyrannosaurus rex Brown and Schlaikjer p. 5 fig. 5
1941	Tyrannosaurus rex Avinoff p. 29
1942	Tyrannosaurus rex Avinoff p. 29
1942	Tyrannosaurus rex Kay p. 201
1942	Tyrannosaurus rex Knight p. 165
1943	Tyrannosaurus rex Stovall p. 70
1946	Gorgosaurus lancensis Gilmore p. 2 figs. Pl. 1-4
1946	Tyrannosaurus rex Gilmore p. 16
1949	Tyrannosaurus rex Anonymous p. 255
1951	Tyrannosaurus rex Kay p. 165
1954	Tyrannosaurus rex Lavocat p. 68
1960	Tyrannosaurus rex Jeletzky p. 35
1963	Tyrannosaurus rex Anonymous p. 340
1964	Tyrannosaurus rex Estes p. 144
1964	Manospondylus gigas Kuhn p. 23
1964	Tyrannosaurus rex Russell p. 17
1964	Tyrannosaurus rex Tatarinov p. 539
1964	Tyrannosaurus imperiosus Walker p. 117
1965	Tyrannosaurus rex Ostrom p. 39
1965	Tyrannosaurus rex Rozhdestvensky
1966	Tyrannosaurus rex Russell p. 13
1967	Aublysodon lancensis Charig p. 714
1967	Tyrannosaurus rex Charig p. 714
1970	Tyrannosaurus rex Russell p. 18
1970	Albertosaurus lancensis Russell p. 20
1970	Gorgosaurus lancensis Steel p. 41
1970	Tyrannosaurus rex Steel pp. 42-43
1970	Tyrannosaurus rex Swinton p. 151
1970	Tyrannosaurus imperiosus Swinton p. 152
1970	Gorgosaurus lancensis Tabrum p. 6
1970	Tyrannosaurus rex Tabrum p. 6
1972	Tyrannosaurus rex Osmólska et al. p. 136
1974	Tyrannosaurus rex Anonymous p. 159
1974	Tyrannosaurus rex Molnar p. 1011
1976	Albertosaurus lancensis Kurzanov
1976	Tyrannosaurus rex Kurzanov
1976	Tyrannosaurus rex Lawson p. 159
1976	Gorgosaurus lancensis Sloan p. 145
1976	Tyrannosaurus rex Sloan p. 145
1978	Albertosaurus lancensis Molnar p. 73
1978	Tyrannosaurus rex Molnar p. 73
1980	Tyrannosaurus rex Chao
1980	Tyrannosaurus rex Gabriel and Lupton p. 25
1980	Tyrannosaurus rex Lisak p. 68
1980	Albertosaurus lancensis Molnar pp. 102-103
1980	Tyrannosaurus rex Molnar p. 102
1981	Tyrannosaurus rex McIntosh p. 8
1982	Tyrannosaurus rex Anonymous p. 12
1982	Tyrannosaurus rex McGinnis p. 99
1984	Tyrannosaurus rex Kielan-Jaworowska p. 96
1985	Tyrannosaurus rex Breithaupt p. 169
1986	Albertosaurus lancensis Gauthier p. 9
1986	Tyrannosaurus rex Gauthier p. 9
1986	Tyrannosaurus rex Gillette et al. p. 235
1986	Tyrannosaurus rex Zhao p. 71
1987	Tyrannosaurus rex Lehman p. 208
1988	Nanotyrannus lancensis Bakker et al.
1988	Aublysodon molnaris Paul p. 324
1988	Albertosaurus megagracilis Paul pp. 333-334
1988	Albertosaurus lancensis Paul p. 336
1988	Tyrannosaurus rex Paul p. 343
1990	Nanotyrannus lancensis Molnar et al. p. 190
1990	Tyrannosaurus rex Molnar et al. p. 190
1991	Tyrannosaurus rex Molnar p. 139
1991	Nanotyrannus lancensis Molnar p. 167
1991	Albertosaurus megagracilis Molnar p. 170
1991	Tyrannosaurus rex Weishampel et al. p. 209
1992	Tyrannosaurus rex Bakker et al. p. 3
1992	Tyrannosaurus rex Buffetaut p. 135 fig. 2
1992	Tyrannosaurus rex Carpenter p. 254
1992	Albertosaurus lancensis Carpenter p. 258
1992	Nanotyrannus lancensis Currie p. 246
1992	Tyrannosaurus rex Currie p. 247
1994	Tyrannosaurus rex Derstler p. 139
1994	Tyrannosaurus rex Molnar and Wiffen p. 693
1994	Tyrannosaurus rex Retallack p. 1385
1995	Tyrannosaurus rex Lockley and Hunt p. 235
1995	Dinotyrannus megagracilis Olshevsky
1995	Stygivenator molnari Olshevsky
1996	Tyrannosaurus rex Buffetaut et al. p. 690
1997	Tyrannosaurus rex Breithaupt p. 395
1997	Tyrannosaurus rex Currie and Padian p. 369
1997	Tyrannosaurus rex Eberth p. 202
1997	Tyrannosaurus rex Novas p. 684
1997	Tyrannosaurus rex Ryan and Vickaryous p. 170
1997	Tyrannosaurus rex Schweitzer p. 459
1998	Tyrannosaurus rex Makovicky and Norell p. 13
1999	Tyrannosaurus rex Carr p. 498
1999	Tyrannosaurus rex Knoll et al. p. 106
2000	Tyrannosaurus rex Carpenter p. 139
2000	Tyrannosaurus rex Foster and Chure p. 8
2000	Stygivenator molnari Olshevsky p. 154
2000	Dinotyrannus megagracilis Olshevsky p. 156
2001	Tyrannosaurus rex Carpenter and Smith p. 93
2001	Tyrannosaurus rex Eberth et al. p. 66
2001	Aublysodon molnaris Holtz, Jr. p. 68 fig. 7.2
2001	Tyrannosaurus rex Holtz, Jr. pp. 71-72 fig. 7.2
2003	Nanotyrannus lancensis Currie
2003	Tyrannosaurus rex Currie p. 58
2003	Tyrannosaurus rex Currie et al. p. 10
2003	Nanotyrannus lancensis Currie et al. p. 231
2003	Tyrannosaurus rex Currie et al. p. 231
2003	Aublysodon molnari Rauhut p. 43
2003	Tyrannosaurus rex Rauhut p. 43
2003	Tyrannosaurus rex Williamson et al. p. 110A
2004	Tyrannosaurus rex Carr and Williamson p. 481
2004	Nanotyrannus lancensis Holtz, Jr. p. 113
2004	Tyrannosaurus rex Holtz, Jr. p. 113
2005	Tyrannosaurus rex Canudo et al. p. 12
2005	Tyrannosaurus rex Carr et al. p. 140 fig. 21
2005	Tyrannosaurus rex Sullivan et al. p. 399
2006	Tyrannosaurus rex Fowler and Sullivan p. 127
2006	Nanotyrannus lencensis Malkani p. 8
2006	Tyranosaurus rex Malkani p. 8
2006	Tyrannosaurus rex Urban and Lamanna p. 234
2007	Tyrannosaurus rex Averianov p. 538
2007	Tyrannosaurus rex Sampson and Witmer p. 38
2007	Tyrannosaurus rex Saveliev and Alifanov p. 282
2007	Tyrannosaurus rex Turner et al. p. 20 fig. 12
2008	Tyrannosaurus rex Cooper et al.
2008	Tyrannosaurus rex Irmis and Knoll p. 121
2008	Tyrannosaurus rex Longrich p. 136
2008	Tyrannosaurus rex Manning et al. p. 645
2009	Tyrannosaurus rex Benson and Barrett p. 139
2009	Tyrannosaurus rex Li et al.
2009	Tyrannosaurus rex Norell et al. p. 49
2010	Tyrannosaurus rex Carr p. 1219
2010	Tyrannosaurus rex Currie and Eberth p. 1279
2010	Tyrannosaurus rex Paulina Carabajal and Canale p. 249
2010	Tyrannosaurus rex Taquet p. 89
2010	Tyrannosaurus rex Torres-Rodríguez et al. p. 78
2011	Tyrannosaurus rex Carr et al.
2011	Tyrannosaurus rex Fowler et al. p. 1
2011	Tyrannosaurus rex Hone et al. p. 495
2011	Tyrannosaurus rex Kellner et al. p. 104
2011	Tyrannosaurus rex Turner et al. p. 27
2011	Tyrannosaurus rex Zanno and Makovicky p. 320
2012	Tyrannosaurus rex Averianov and Sues p. 286
2012	Tyrannosaurus rex Cau et al. p. 664
2012	Tyrannosaurus rex Galton and Molnar p. 21
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Armitage and Anderson p. 603
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Dalman p. 242
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Fernandes de Azevedo et al. p. 135
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Ibiricu et al. p. 8
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Novas et al. p. 184
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Poropat and Kear p. 103
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Richter et al. p. 303
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Stein and Triebold p. 56
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Thomson et al. p. 71
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Vajda et al. p. 114
2013	Tyrannosaurus rex Zanno et al. p. 506
2014	Tyrannosaurus rex Hendrickx and Mateus p. 20
2014	Tyrannosaurus rex Williamson and Brusatte p. 7
2015	Tyrannosaurus rex Currie and Koppelhus p. 626
2015	Nanotyrannus lancensis DePalma et al. p. 12
2015	Tyrannosaurus rex DePalma et al. p. 12
2015	Tyrannosaurus rex Torices et al. p. 615
2015	Tyrannosaurus rex White et al. p. 3
2016	Tyrannosaurus rex Claessens and Loewen p. 10
2016	Tyrannosaurus rex Coria and Currie p. 2
2016	Tyrannosaurus rex Lee p. 8
2017	Tyrannosaurus rex Carr et al. p. 7
2018	Tyrannosaurus rex Aureliano et al. p. 286
2018	Tyrannosaurus rex Buckley et al. p. 1234
2018	Tyrannosaurus rex Dal Sasso et al. p. 26
2018	Tyrannosaurus rex Dalman et al. p. 134
2018	Nanotyrannus lancensis Dalman et al. p. 136
2018	Tyrannosaurus rex McDonald et al. p. 2
2018	Tyrannosaurus rex Rauhut et al. p. 17
2019	Tyrannosaurus rex Arden et al. p. 275
2019	Tyrannosaurus rex Brougham et al. p. 14
2019	Tyrannosaurus rex Brownstein p. 4
2019	Tyrannosaurus rex Senter and Sullivan p. 2
2019	Tyrannosaurus rex Xing et al. p. 1137
2020	Tyrannosaurus rex Dalla Vecchia p. 609
2020	Tyrannosaurus rex Gutherz et al.
2020	Tyrannosaurus rex Sakagami and Kawabe p. 12
2020	Tyrannosaurus rex Woodward et al. p. 1
2021	Tyrannosaurus rex McFeeters p. 191
2021	Tyrannosaurus rex Titus et al. p. 27
2022	Tyrannosaurus rex Krumenacker et al. p. 1336
2022	Tyrannosaurus imperator Paul et al. p. 174
2022	Tyrannosaurus regina Paul et al. p. 174
2022	Tyrannosaurus rex Paul et al. p. 174
2022	Tyrannosaurus rex Salem et al. p. 8
2023	Tyrannosaurus rex Chamberlain et al. p. 13

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
subclass	Eureptilia	()
—	Romeriida

Rank	Name	Author
—	Diapsida	()
—	Archosauromorpha	(Huene 1946)
—	Crocopoda
—	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
—	Eucrocopoda
—	Archosauria	()
informal	Avemetatarsalia
—	Ornithodira
—	Dinosauromorpha
—	Dinosauriformes
—	Dinosauria	()
—	Theropoda	()
—	Neotheropoda
—	Averostra	Paul 2002
—	Tetanurae
—	Coelurosauria	()
superfamily	Tyrannosauroidea
family	Tyrannosauridae
subfamily	Tyrannosaurinae
genus	Tyrannosaurus
species	rex

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Tyrannosaurus rex Osborn 1905 [tyrant lizard king]

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Invalid names: Albertosaurus megagracilis Paul 1988 [synonym], Aublysodon molnaris Paul 1988 [synonym], Dynamosaurus imperiosus Osborn 1905 [synonym], Manospondylus gigas Cope 1892 [synonym], Nanotyrannus lancensis Gilmore 1946 [synonym], Tyrannosaurus imperator Paul et al. 2022 [synonym], Tyrannosaurus regina Paul et al. 2022 [synonym]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
H. F. Osborn 1905	Carnivorous Dinosaurs attaining very large size. Humerus believed to be oL large size and elongate (Brown). No evidence of bony dermal plates (Brown).
H. F. Osborn 1905 (Dynamosaurus imperiosus)	Twelve to thirteen mandibular teeth.
K. Carpenter 1992	Angular terminates posterior to the surangular fenestra. Surangular fenestra much larger than in Tyrannosaurus baatar. Maxilla terminates below the lacrymal.
K. Carpenter 1992 (Albertosaurus lancensis)	(Cranial) Skull long and low; maxillary fenestra small and separated from antorbital fenestra by a wide bar of the maxillary; antorbital fenestra longer than tall; nasals do not form a wedge between the frontals as in A. libratus and A. sarcophagus; in dorsal view, muzzle well differentiated from cranium so that there was stereoscopic vision. )Postcranial) fourth trochanter more proximal than in A. libratus; proximal articular face of tibia almost triangular, rather than quadrangular as in most tyrannosaurids (except for Maleevosaurus); proximal expansion of fibula is symmetrical relative to long axis of the shaft.
G. S. Paul et al. 2022	generally robust with an adult femur-length/circumference ratio of about 2.4 or less; usually one slender anterior incisiform dentary tooth.
G. S. Paul et al. 2022 (Tyrannosaurus imperator)	Generally robust with an adult femur-length/ circumference ratio of 2.4 or less; usually two slender anterior incisiform dentary teeth.
G. S. Paul et al. 2022 (Tyrannosaurus regina)	Generally gracile with an adult femur-length/circumference ratio over 2.4, usually one slender anterior incisiform dentary tooth.