Dinosaur genus
Albertosaurus
Albertosaurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 85.7–66 million years old, in Canada and the United States.
Confidence labels are switched off. Facts with low confidence, or where sources disagree, still carry a small dot: tap it for the reason.
At a glance
Data as of 12 October 2026- Named by
- Osborn 1905
high
high: PBDB and Wikidata agree.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Described in
- H. F. Osborn (1905). Tyrannosaurus and other Cretaceous carnivorous dinosaurs. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 21(14): 259–265.
high
high: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority (Osborn 1905), on which PBDB and Wikidata agree.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. The publication the Paleobiology Database gives as the authority for this genus name, usually the one that first named and described it.
- Lived
- Santonian to Maastrichtian, 85.7–66 million years ago
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.Omnisaura calculation85.7–66 million years ago, from its dated fossil recordsmedium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 21 confirmed PBDB records.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Fossils found in
- CanadaUnited States
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
- Rock formations
- Judith River FormationHorseshoe Canyon
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.Belly River Seriesmedium
medium: Only PBDB records it (15 records).Hell Creek Formationdisputed
low: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.Oldmandisputed
low: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.Scollardlow
low: Only one PBDB record.low
low: Only one PBDB record.mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
- Family
- Tyrannosauridae
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Parent group
- Albertosaurinae
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
- Order
- Saurischia
medium
medium: Only NHM gives this; nothing contradicts it.Sources
Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Gap filled from NHM.
- Known from
- Bones
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).
Gaps are answers
What isn't known yet
- Type species: no source we use gives it yet.
- Common names: no source we use gives it yet.
- What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
- Held back: 11 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf." or "?").
- Resting on one source: 2 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): parent group (PBDB); order (NHM).
Size, diet and behaviour aren't covered yet. Omnisaura leaves them out rather than guess.
Where sources disagree
2 openFormations
- NonePBDB
- Belly River SeriesNHM
One source names a formation the other does not. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.
Formations
- NonePBDB
- Hell Creek FormationNHM
One source names a formation the other does not. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.
Did it meet…?
Yes. Both are found, identified to species, in the same rocks of the same age: Scollard.
Going by the ages and rock formations of their dated fossils, as on the map. Compare their fossil sites on the map.
Lived alongside
Genera found in the same rock formations, from rocks of the same age.
Same family
Other genera in Tyrannosauridae with a full profile.
Credits
Where this page comes from
- Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
- Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
- WikidataCC0 1.0 · names and identifiers
- OmnisauraOmnisaura editorial · confidence levels and gaps
- PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines (Kocsis and Scotese 2021)CC BY 4.0 · ancient coastlines on the small map
- Natural EarthPublic domain · today's coastlines
Pictures linked from this page are credited beside each one, with their own licences; the full list is in the JSON download.