article for June 4, 2020
Article of the day for June 4, 2020 is Lythronax . Lythronax is a genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaur that lived in North America around 80.6–79.9 million years ago. Size estimates for Lythronax have ranged between 5 and 8 m (16 and 26 ft) in length, and between 0.5 and 2.5 t (1,100 and 5,500 lb) in weight. It was a heavily built tyrannosaurid; as a member of that group, it would have had small, two-fingered forelimbs, strong hindlimbs, and a very robust skull. The rear part of the skull of Lythronax appears to have been very broad, with eye sockets that faced forwards like those of Tyrannosaurus. Lythronax is the oldest known member of the family Tyrannosauridae, and it is thought to have been more basal than Tyrannosaurus. Due to its age, Lythronax is important for understanding the evolutionary origins of tyrannosaurids, including the development of their anatomical specializations. The forward-facing eyes of Lythronax gave it depth perception, which may have been u...
