DINOSAURS

ALBERTOSAURUS "Alberta lizard"

At 29 feet long, Albertosaurus was only bout half the size of its closest cousin, Tyrannosaurus.
Despite the difference in size, Albertosaurus was built in much the same way as its other 
meat-eating relatives.  It had a large muscular head, a mouth full of sharp, serrated teeth and 
a powerful jaw that could deliver a fatal bone-crushing bite to the neck of its victims. 

Like Tyrannosaurus, Albertosaurus had puny forearms that were too short to reach up to its 
mouth to feed.  With only two functional fingers on its arms, as opposed to three, grasping for 
food would also have been very difficult.  Some believe that Albertosaurus used these tiny 
limbs to hold on to females during mating.  Others think they were used to help the dinosaur
raise itself up when it was lying prone on the ground. 

Paleontologists still wonder whether Albertosaurus and its flesh-eating relatives were 
fast-moving predators.  Their bodies were too heavy to chase prey at high speeds for very long 
distances.  More likely, Albertosaurus waited for its victims, then charged them at speeds of 18
or 20 miles an hour.  Once close enough, Albertosaurus could clamp its powerful jaws down
on the neck of its victim and then deliver a stunning blow with its powerful clawed legs.  Fossils
of Albertosaurus have been found in Alberta, Canada, and Montana, USA.