Lythronax argestes

The genus name Lythronax translates to 'gore king,' from the Greek words 'lythron' (gore) and 'anax' (king). The species name argestes refers to the southwestern wind in Greek mythology, reflecting the fossil's discovery in southwestern North America. The full name thus means roughly 'gore king of the southwest.'

Lythronax argestes lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 80 million years ago. Its fossils were recovered from the Wahweap Formation in southern Utah, which dates to this timeframe. This makes Lythronax one of the oldest known tyrannosaurines, predating Tyrannosaurus rex by roughly 13 million years.

Lythronax argestes fossils were discovered in the Wahweap Formation of southern Utah, United States. The species was formally described in 2013 based on these remains. The discovery helped paleontologists understand the early evolution and geographic spread of tyrannosaurines in western North America.

Lythronax argestes is a member of the tyrannosaurine subfamily, making it a close relative of Tyrannosaurus rex. It shared key features with T. rex including a deep skull with forward-facing eyes and a relatively short snout. Its 80-million-year age suggests these anatomical traits evolved earlier than paleontologists had previously believed.