Zanabazar (Zanabazar)

Basic facts

  • 7.5 feet (2.3m) length

  • Late Cretaceous

  • Mongolia

  • Carnivore

Zanabazar is a genus of dinosaur belonging to the family Troodontids. It lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 70 to 68 million years ago, in what is now Mongolia. The first fossils of Zanabazar were discovered in the 1960s.

Zanabazar was generally categorized as a small dinosaur; however, within the Troodontid group, it stood out as quite large, measuring 7.5 feet (2.3m) in length and weighing approximately 25kg (55lbs). It holds the distinction of being the largest known Asian troodontid. At the time of its discovery, the only other troodontids seemingly larger than Zanabazar were specimens found in Alaska. Currently, its size is surpassed by Latenivenatrix, which now holds the title of the largest known Troodontid to date.