Dinosaurs A to Z
Tyrannosauridae

Nanuqsaurus hoglundi

"polar bear lizard"

Generic theropod body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Nanuqsaurus 6 m (19.7 ft) long
as long as 4 people standing fingertip to fingertip
generic theropod body plan, scaled to length — not a silhouette of Nanuqsaurus
Length
6 m (19.7 ft)
Period
Late Cretaceous (73 Mya)
Food
Carnivore
Clade
Tyrannosauridae Dinosauria Saurischia Theropoda Coelurosauria Tyrannosauroidea Late-Cretaceous tyrants: T. rex, Tarbosaurus, Albertosaurus.

Nanuqsaurus (meaning “polar bear lizard”) is a genus of tyrannosaurine theropod dinosaur known from the Late Cretaceous (Latest Campanian age) Prince Creek Formation of the North Slope of Alaska. It contains a single species, Nanuqsaurus hoglundi, known from a partial skull and multiple undescribed postcranial and teeth elements.

What we know

  • Named by Fiorillo & Tykoski, 2014.
  • Body length estimated at about 6 m.

What we guess

The reconstruction notes for Nanuqsaurus — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.