Fun Alioramus Facts For Kids

The Alioramus was a medium-sized theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period. The genus Alioramus was categorized among the Tyrannosauridae. The name Alioramus means 'different branch'. There were two types of Alioramus.

The first was Alioramus remotus, which was a partially discovered fossil bone from Mongolian sediments which date back to 70 million years ago. The discovered fossil bones consist of a partial skull and three feet bones. The type species, Alioramus remotus, was first described by Sergei Kurzanov in 1976, a Soviet paleontologist.

The dinosaur Alioramus second species type Alioramus altai was discovered with a complete skeleton and it was discovered by Stephen L. Brusatte and his team in 2009. In 2014, there was a possibility of a third species, Alioramus sinensis, which was discovered in the Nanxiong Formation of China.

The Alioramus was a carnivore and was known for being a bipedal theropod with sharp canine teeth.

The Alioramus specimens discovered were possibly of a juvenile or sub-adult size. They were closely related to another carnivore dinosaur of Asia, a juvenile named Tarbosaurus bataar on the basis of a similar braincase.

This genus description from Mongolia and the Asian continent was described by five bony crests which were found on the top of the snout with many teeth and a partial lower skull similar to other tyrannosaurids. The Tyrannosaur rex from North America is also similar on basis of this characteristic.

If you enjoyed reading this article about the Alioramus dinosaur, then do read some interesting facts about other dinosaurs, such as the Caviramus and Chungkingosaurus.

Alioramus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Alioramus'?

The pronunciation of the word Alioramus is 'Ah-lee-oh-ray-muss'.

What type of dinosaur was an Alioramus?

The classification of the tyrannosaur theropod Alioramus belongs to the clade of Sauropsida, Dinosauria, and order Saurischia. They belonged to the family of Tyrannosauridae and the genus Alioramus.

The name Alioramus means 'different branch' and there are three possible type species. The first was Alioramus remotus, the second species A. altai (Alioramus altai), and the third was Alioramus sinensis.

The fossil remains were discovered in the Mongolian sediments and the Nanxiong Formation of China. They had a partial skull with a number of teeth with bony crests on their snouts.

These dinosaurs were more slender in shape and swift in comparison to the Tyrannosaurus rex and juvenile Tarbosaurus bataar. The discovery of this dinosaur species can be credited to the paleontologists Stephen L. Brusatte who discovered the second species A. altai (Alioramus altai) in 2009 and Sergei Kurzanov who discovered the first species Alioramus remotus in 1976.

In which geological period did the Alioramus roam the earth?

The Alioramus roamed around the earth in the Late Cretaceous period, which was 65 million years ago to 70 million years ago.

When did the Alioramus become extinct?

The tyrannosaurid Alioramus became extinct at the end of the Late Cretaceous period when all other dinosaurs were believed to have gone extinct.

Where did an Alioramus live?

The discovery of the Alioramus dates back to the Asian continent in Mongolia, China.

There were three species of this genus Alioramus remotus, Alioramus altai, and Alioramus sinensis found in different places closely related or close to each other, such as the Nemegt Formation of the Gobi Desert, the Nanxiong Formation of China, and in the Mongolian sediments of the humid river valley plains.

In brief, it can be said that the fossils of sub-adult size and juveniles were discovered in the central woodlands of China and these dinosaurs are believed to have lived in those places.

What was an Alioramus's habitat?

The tyrannosaurid Alioramus fossil remains were discovered in places where there were river channel sediments with a humid type of climatic condition. It is believed during the Late Cretaceous period, Mongolia was humid and wet with a seasonal monsoon.

The area had flood plains, rivers, and woodlands of Araucarian pines. The habitat was full of aquatic and terrestrial animals such as fish, mammals, birds, and herbivore theropods such as Velociraptor, Oviraptors, and, of course, tyrannosaurids like the Alioramus and the Tarbosaurus.

Who did an Alioramus live with?

It is not unknown whether this species lived in solitude or in groups, but they shared their habitat with Velociraptors, Oviraptors, and tyrannosaurids like the Tarbosaurus. As it was a carnivore, this dinosaur must have lived a life of solitude and as a juvenile in a group of two to three.

There is no strong evidence of their group size.

How long did an Alioramus live?

There is no specific information with regard to their growth and how long they lived. It is believed that these dinosaurs must have had a lifespan of 10-12 years, but scientists need stronger evidence in this regard.

In general, the life expectancy of their close relatives from North America, the Tyrannosaurus rex or T. rex, was 28 years because they were huge in size and ferocious at the same time.

How did they reproduce?

The Alioramus species named A. remotus, along with the other two species, must have reproduced by mating and laying eggs in clutches. Though not much information is available, these dinosaurs must have reproduced like any other dinosaur.

Alioramus Fun Facts

What did an Alioramus look like?

The Alioramus was a medium-sized size tyrannosaurid with long bony crests on its snout, which was very different from other dinosaurs. They had a slender and swift snout that appeared to be like a horn in the middle of the skull, along with a sharp number of teeth like a blade.

There were many air-filled cavities found in the skull of these tyrannosaurids.

The body shape of these dinosaurs was similar to a bipedal and if the complete specimen discovered was of sub-adult size or juvenile size, then the actual adult size would have been much bigger than expected.

The specimens described resembled the juvenile Tarbosaurus skull and teeth. Although the description of the tyrannosaurid Alioramus dinosaur is different, Alioramus teeth were indeed very sharp, similar to the T. rex, and the Alioramus front skull was narrow.

How many bones did an Alioramus have?

The exact number of bones in an Alioramus is not evaluated and is unknown to the world. However, the fossils recovered had a partial skull and foot bones, and another species had a complete Alioramus skeletal structure.

How did they communicate?

The fossils of the Alioramus dinosaur indicate that they must have communicated using their vocals, physical gestures, and tactile cues. As per the classification of these dinosaurs among the family of tyrannosaurids, they must have shown their dominancy by their size.

How big was an Alioramus?

The Alioramus size was 16-20 ft (5-6 m) long in length and 7 ft (2 m) tall. This was an estimated size of their full growth.

All the species of this genus, i.e., remotus, altai, and sinensis, were of the same characteristic and length. From the discovery of fossils and specimens of Alioramus, it is found that the Tarbosaurus were almost twice their own size.

How fast could an Alioramus move?

The Alioramus of the animal kingdom were quick with their movements and agile. As they shared their habitat with the Tarbosaurus, they had to be quick in search of food. You can assume that these bipedals were very alert and quick with their locomotion.

How much did an Alioramus weigh?

According to the scientist's search for evidence in regard to their weight, it indicates that the tyrannosaur Alioramus weighed around 1543 lb (700 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

Male and female dinosaurs of this species were given no specific names and were known by their generic names.

What would you call a baby Alioramus?

Babies of adult Alioramus dinosaurs are known as hatchlings and juveniles.

What did they eat?

From the fossils deposited in humid floodplains, it is known that these dinosaurs were carnivores and hunted their food. They had to compete with the tyrannosaur Tarbosaurus when searching for prey.

These dinosaurs preyed on small-sized animals such as frogs, crocodiles, birds, mammals, and other dinosaurs with small body sizes, such as the Microceratus whose skeleton and skull remains were also found in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, China. They themselves would have been predated by the adult Tarbosaurus.

How aggressive were they?

These dinosaurs from Asia must have been aggressive as they were known to be close relatives of the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Tarbosaurus on the basis of their fossil remains. They shared their habitat with the Tarbosaurus, so they must have been in competition with them to search for and prey on their diet.

Their sharp teeth could have had the capability to tear flesh into pieces.

Did you know...

The size of the crests on their snouts was 0.4 in (1 cm) tall.

From the fossils, it was discovered that these dinosaurs had 76-78 sharp teeth.

The type species is Alioramus altai. The last name 'altai' is being referred to the Altai Mountains, where their fossils were discovered.

The Alioramus remotus and altai differed in their age.

Why they are called Alioramus'?

The Alioramus name means 'other evolutionary branch' and they are known to have three species under their genus. The Alioramus name meaning goes with their subspecies.

Does the Alioramus have a bump on its nose? Why?

Yes, the Alioramus skull front is known to have a small round elevated bump near the nasal midline bone, and many times it is stated by scientists that they were known to have a small lifted horn with slender bony crests on their snout.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Heterodontosaurus facts, or Harpactognathus facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Alioramus coloring pages.