Dinosaur genus

Tarbosaurus

Maleev 1955

Tarbosaurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 83.6–66 million years old, in Mongolia, China and Russia.

Confidence labels

VisibleOn tapHidden

How sure are we?3 high7 medium6 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

83.6–66 Ma

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114366

Solid: the ages of its dated fossils, 83.6–66 million years ago (Omnisaura's calculation). Pale: the published range, 89.8–66 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: Maleev 1955
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: E. A. Maleev (1955). [New carnivorous dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia]. Doklady Akademii Nauk USSR 104(5): 779–783.
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; its author and year match the naming authority (Maleev 1955).
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: Coniacian to Maastrichtian, 89.8–66 million years ago
high
high: PBDB and NHM agree.
Omnisaura calculation83.6–66 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 52 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Fossils found in: Mongolia
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
China
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Russia
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: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
Rock formations: Nemegt
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (47 records).
Beds of Nogon Tsav
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Qiupa
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Subashi
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Udurchukan
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Yuliangzi
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. 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: Tyrannosaurini
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).

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: 4 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf." or "?").
Resting on one source: 3 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): authority (PBDB); parent group (PBDB); order (NHM).

Size, diet and behaviour aren't covered yet. Omnisaura leaves them out rather than guess.

Where sources disagree

None open. Where our sources overlap, they agree on everything shown here.

Did it meet…?

Did Tarbosaurus meet ?

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

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.

Saurolophus Gallimimus Avimimus Elongatoolithus Coralloidoolithus Deinocheirus Macroolithus Mononykus Oksoko Ovaloolithus Prenocephale Troodon Alioramus Amurosaurus Barsboldia Elmisaurusand 22 more

Same family

Other genera in Tyrannosauridae with a full profile.

Albertosaurus Alioramus Asiatyrannus Bagaraatan Bistahieversor Daspletosaurus Gorgosaurus Labocania Teratophoneus Thanatotheristes Tyrannosaurus

Where its fossils were found

29 fossil sites, with present-day and ancient positions

Open the map at this time

Cite this page

Omnisaura (2026). Tarbosaurus. Future Sailors. https://www.omnisaura.com/genera/tarbosaurus. Data as of 12 October 2026.

What's changed

No changes since the change log started (11 Oct 2026).

Every change to Omnisaura

Use this data

Download this genus as JSON With every source and licence attached. Spotted a problem? Tell us

Pictures

3 openly licensed pictures of Tarbosaurus on Wikimedia Commons and museum sites, each with its own author and licence.

Tarbosaurus Restoration.png
PaleoNeolitic, CC BY 4.0
Tarbosaurus Restorationadssasasdda.png
GgfHghf, CC BY-SA 4.0
NHM-UK_P_DF118_03_24_0179
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0

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.