Yutyrannus

Filed under Cretaceous dinosaurs · Types of Dinosaurs editorial team

Order: Saurischia · Suborder: Theropoda · Infraorder: Tyrannosauroidea · Family: Tyrannosauroidea (family not firmly confirmed)

Yutyrannus, whose name means "feathered tyrant," was a large carnivorous tyrannosauroid that roamed what is now China during the Early Cretaceous period. Reaching lengths of approximately 26 to 30 feet (8 to 9 meters), this dinosaur belongs to the same family that produced the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, though it lived millions of years earlier.

One of the most significant aspects of Yutyrannus is the fossil evidence preserving filament-like feathers across much of its body. Its discovery challenged earlier assumptions about tyrannosaurs, demonstrating that even large-bodied members of this group could bear feathered coverings. This finding has led paleontologists to reconsider how tyrannosaurs likely appeared, suggesting that feathering may have been more widespread throughout the group than previously thought.

Yutyrannus inhabited a cooler climate than many of the tyrannosaurs that came later in the Cretaceous period. The combination of its substantial size, feathered covering, and environmental adaptations provides valuable insight into the diversity and evolution of tyrannosaur species across different time periods and geographic regions.

More Cretaceous-period dinosaurs →

Reference background: Natural History Museum, London — Dinosaurs; Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs; American Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs & Fossils. Figures are typical published ranges; taxonomy follows the source era and modern consensus is noted where it differs. See our sources & fact-check policy.

Related dinosaurs

Other dinosaurs from the Tyrannosauroidea family.