Nanuqsaurus

polar bear lizard

• nanuq · Iñupiaq · polar bear
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name combines the Iñupiaq word "nanuq", meaning polar bear, with the Greek "sauros", meaning lizard. It was chosen because the fossils came from Alaska's North Slope, where the animal lived in a cold, high-latitude environment, and because polar bears are top predators of the modern Arctic. The name was also a nod to the Iñupiaq people of the region.

Named by

Fiorillo and Tykoski

Year named

2014

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Prince Creek Formation, North Slope, Alaska, USA

A tyrannosaurid theropod, known from partial skull remains (skull fragments including parts of the maxilla and dentary). The type species is Nanuqsaurus hoglundi. It was probably smaller than other large tyrannosaurids, perhaps because of the Arctic environment. Some researchers have questioned how complete the material is.