Cretaceous
Tyrannosaurus rex
Tyrannosaurus rex
The catalogue presents Tyrannosaurus rex as a carnivore member of Tyrannosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 68.0–66.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 11.5–12.3 m in length and 5.4–9.5 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Hell Creek Formation, Montana, USA. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Tyrannosaurus rex, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Osborn (1905).
The PBDB places it in Tyrannosaurini, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Tyrannosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Tyrannosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Campanian to the Maastrichtian.
The PBDB catalogues 70 occurrences, with material from the Hell Creek Formation (43), from the Lance Formation (10) and from the Denver Formation (5). Provenance: United States, Canada and Mexico.
The catalogue records the holotype as CM 9380 and the type locality as “Hell Creek Formation, Montana, USA”.
- CM 9380
- Hell Creek Formation, Montana, USA
The catalogue's reference measurements are 11.5–12.3 m in length and 5.4–9.5 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 11.5-12.3 m
- 5.4-9.5 tons
The record gathers 117 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic reconstruction · speculative details
Soft tissues and colours are speculative; the external form is an artistic interpretation.
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Physical Specifications
- Length
- 11.5–12.3 m
- Weight
- 5.4–9.5 t
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 68.0–66.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1902
- Described by
- Barnum Brown
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Tyrannosauridae
- Genus
- Tyrannosaurus
- Species
- T. rex
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
- CM 9380
- Type locality
- Hell Creek Formation, Montana, USA