Thanatotheristes — artistic reconstruction

Cretaceous

Thanatotheristes

Thanatotheristes degrootorum

The catalogue presents Thanatotheristes as a carnivore member of Tyrannosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 79.5–77.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 8.0–9.0 m in length and 2.5–3.5 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Foremost Formation, Alberta, Canada. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.

Carnivore79.5–77.0 MaTyrannosauridae

Evidence-backed summary

For Thanatotheristes, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Voris et al. (2020).

The PBDB places it in Daspletosaurini, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Tyrannosauridae.

In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Campanian.

The PBDB catalogues 2 occurrences, with material from the Foremost Formation (2). Provenance: Canada.

The catalogue records the type locality as “Foremost Formation, Alberta, Canada”.

  • Foremost Formation, Alberta, Canada

The catalogue's reference measurements are 8.0–9.0 m in length and 2.5–3.5 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.

  • 8.0-9.0 m
  • 2.5-3.5 tons

The record gathers 4 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.

Records compiled on 2026-08-08

Where it lived

Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.

Present-day map2 PBDB
ForemostForemost
PBDB occurrences
Map at the time · ~80 Ma2 PBDB
ForemostForemost
PBDB occurrences
Present mean latitude50.0° N
Reconstructed mean latitude60.3° N

Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.

Paleobiology Database · GPlates · CC BY 4.0

Artistic 3D reconstruction

There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.

Physical Specifications

Length
8.0–9.0 m
Weight
2.5–3.5 t
Period
Cretaceous
Time range
79.5–77.0 Ma

Discovery Information

First Discovery
2020
Described by
Voris et al.

Taxonomic Classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Saurischia
Family
Tyrannosauridae
Genus
Thanatotheristes
Species
d. degrootorum

Paleobiology Database · txn:424537

Data status

Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.

Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.

Type specimen
not documented in this catalogue
Type locality
Foremost Formation, Alberta, Canada