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Dinosaur genus

Daspletosaurus

Russell 1970

Daspletosaurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 83.6–72.2 million years old, in Canada and the United States.

Confidence labels
How sure are we?4 high7 medium5 lowHow we rate confidence

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
83.6–72.2 Ma
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 83.6–72.2 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 83.6–66 million years ago, which also counts records Omnisaura leaves out.

The last non-bird dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. That's as far from us as the end of this bar.

Named by
Russell 1970
highhigh: PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Described in
D. A. Russell (1970). Tyrannosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of western Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, Publications in Paleontology 1: 1–34. Read it
highhigh: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority (Russell 1970), 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
Campanian to Maastrichtian, 83.6–66 million years ago
highhigh: PBDB and NHM agree.
Omnisaura calculation83.6–72.2 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
mediummedium: Omnisaura's calculation from 19 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Fossils found in
Canada
highhigh: NHM and PBDB both record it.
United States
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (9 records).
mixedmixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).

Rock formations
Dinosaur Park
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Oldman
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (5 records).
Two Medicine
mediummedium: Only PBDB records it (6 records).
Belly River Series
disputedlow: Only NHM gives this name and it matches no PBDB formation; awaiting an editor.
Judith River Formation
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Kirtland
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
Mesaverde
lowlow: Only one PBDB record.
mixedmixed: 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
disputedlow: Sources disagree and an editor has not ruled yet.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Parent group
Daspletosaurini
mediummedium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources

Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.

Order
Saurischia
mediummedium: 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).

Sources: Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (CC0 1.0), Wikidata (CC0 1.0)Confidence levels and gaps are Omnisaura's own assessment.

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: 2 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 open

Family

  • TyrannosauridaePBDB (shown above)
  • TyrannosaruidaeNHM

The sources give different values. An editor hasn't ruled yet, so this is rated low until they do.

Formations

  • 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.

Did it meet…?

?

Yes. Both are found, identified to species, in the same rocks of the same age: Dinosaur Park.

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.

SaurornitholestesTroodonRichardoestesiaCentrosaurusParonychodonDromaeosaurusCorythosaurusStegocerasChasmosaurusLambeosaurusGorgosaurusEuoplocephalusGryposaurusParasaurolophusStenonychosaurusHypacrosaurusand 66 more

Same family

Other genera in Tyrannosauridae with a full profile.

AlbertosaurusAlioramusAsiatyrannusBagaraatanBistahieversorGorgosaurusLabocaniaTarbosaurusTeratophoneusThanatotheristesTyrannosaurus

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.