ALBERTOSAURUS

formerly Gorgosaurus, genus of large carnivorous dinosaurs found as fossils in Late Cretaceous deposits (97.5 to 66.4 million years ago) of North America and eastern Asia. Albertosaurus had a large skull and jaws bearing numerous large, sharp teeth. Albertosaurus was a biped with well-developed hind limbs and supporting triangular pelvis. The tail was long and well-developed and served as a counterbalance to the body. Albertosaurus was about 9 m (30 feet) long; the head stood 3.5 m (11 feet) off the ground. In life Albertosaurus probably moved slowly with a stooped pose. It is possible that Albertosaurus was at least in part a scavenger, feeding upon dead or dying carcasses of other reptiles. In structure and presumed life habits, Albertosaurus was probably similar to Tyrannosaurus, although smaller. Albertosaurus fossils occur in rocks that are slightly older than those containing Tyrannosaurus fossils.