Alioramus

Alioramus ( /ˌæli.ɵˈreɪməs/; meaning 'different branch') is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of Asia. The type A. remotus is known from a partial skull and three metatarsals recovered from Mongolian sediments which were deposited in a humid floodplain between 70 and 65 million years ago. These remains were named and described by Russian paleontologist Sergei Kurzanov in 1976. A second species, A. altai, known from a much more complete skeleton, was named and described by Stephen L. Brusatte and colleagues in 2009. Its relationships to other tyrannosaurid genera are unclear, with some experts believing that Alioramus is closely related to the contemporaneous Tarbosaurus, or is a juvenile of that genus. However, the discovery of A. altai made it clear that the latter hypothesis was incorrect.

Alioramus was bipedal like most theropods, and its sharp teeth indicate that it was a carnivore. It was smaller than tyrannosaurids like Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, but its adult size is difficult to estimate since both species are known from juvenile or sub-adult remains. Alioramus is characterized by the row of five bony crests along the top of its snout, a greater number of teeth than any other tyrannosaurid, and a lower skull than those of other tyrannosaurids.