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Aublysodon
The Aublysodon is a carnivorous dinosaur. Even before the badlands of North America started enlightening the bones of Tyrannosaurus rex, many paleontologists from the late nineteenth century decided that long, pointed teeth turning up in many localities in the Western United States belonged to the deadliest, most ferocious dinosaurs that ever lived. Problematically, at this time, many dinosaur taxons were named for isolated teeth; such genera include Trachodon, Paleoscincus, and Troodon. Scientists named are particular taxon Aublysodon. Since then, over a dozen type of this supposedly fearsome theropod have been described.
The first post-dentary remains of Aublysodon were a partial skull unearthed
in Montana in the 1980s. The skull bore the same pointed teeth attached
to a long tapered skull the length of an average human arm. This adaption
resembles that of theropods designed for eating fish. Famous dinosaurologist
and paleoartist Gregory S. Paul decided the skull should belong to a new
class, Aublysodon molnari. Unfortunately, with only this partial skull
and isolated teeth, very few other details can be given about this elusive
animal. We do know that Aublysodon was extensive; its remains have been
found in many locations.
As with some other theropods, many paleontologists no longer use Aublysodo as a valid genus. It is now extensively considered to be just a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, due to longer teeth and larger eyes characteristic of younger specimens of that species.
