Alioramus remotus

Remote Different-Branch

Alioramus remotus
(Kurzanov, 1976)

The vast, semiarid steppes of Cretaceous central Asia are home to many strange dinosaurs, from the lumbering therizinosaurs to the bizarre, beaked, oviraptors. One large predator of this place, no less strange for being part of a well known group of dinosaurs, is Alioramus remotus.

A. remotus, derived from a primitive branch of the tyrannosaur clade, has evolved along a very different path than its kin. Unlike the giant, flesh rendering cousins of A. remotus (such as Tyrannosaurus bataar ), this tyrannosaur is relatively small (5 meters long) and very lightly built. Rather than the fat, boxy design of the skulls of the larger tyrannosaurs, A. remotus 's head is long and tapered, its eyes large, its neck long. A. remotus is a sprinter, a visual hunter that will chase its prey into exhaustion before devouring it, pecking at the unfortunate animal and tearing many small wounds from its hide with the aid of rows of small, unserrated teeth (Timothy Williams).

The distinguishing feature of A. remotus, a double-row of triangular 'horns' (enlarged scales) act as visual signals for others of its species.

Thanks to Fred Bervoets and Samuel Barnett for their help with Alioramus.

Other sites containing pertinent information:

T. Mike Keesey's Alioramus page
Jeff Poling's articles about Alioramus.

The Alioramus remotus page of MY DINOSAUR OBSESSION by Darryl Jones.
Brian Franczak's Alioramus
Shiraishi Mineo's Alioramus chasing a Protoceratops
Hirokazu Tokugawa's Alioramus
DinoData's Alioramus page (with a skeletal reconstruction)
�yvind M. Padron's Alioramus
John Conway's very cool Alioramus head

� Daniel Bensen 2002
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