在60年代中期,中国古生物学家在中国新疆吐鲁番盆地的苏巴什层(晚白垩纪)发现了一个小型兽脚类化石,包含一些牙齿与大型骨盆的一部分[23]。在1977年,董枝明将这个标本命名为火焰山鄯善龙(Shanshanosaurus huoyanshanensis)[24]。在1998年,葛瑞格利·保罗(Gregory S. Paul)鉴定鄯善龙的化石,将它归类于暴龙科的后弯齿龙,该属现已废止[25]。后来,董枝明与柯尔重新鉴定这些化石,认为它是一个大型暴龙科的幼年体[26][27]。更多的暴龙科牙齿与化石在中国出土,其中数种已建立名称。在1958年,杨锺健命名了破碎金刚口龙,后来在1992年被董枝明认为是个疑名;后来汤玛斯·霍尔兹(Thomas R. Holtz Jr.)认为它们是特暴龙的一个次异名[3]。除了金刚口龙以外,还有兰平特暴龙(T. lanpingensis)、栾川特暴龙(T. luanchuanensis)、吐鲁番特暴龙(T. turpanensis),皆为勇士特暴龙。
一个在1948年发现的颅骨,一度被归类于蛇发女怪龙的G. lancinator,因为具有颅腔,有助于科学家了解特暴龙的脑部结构。在1965年,马列夫制作了一个石膏颅腔模型,并做了初步的脑部形状检查[30]。在2005年,谢尔盖·萨伐黎耶夫(Sergei V. Saveliev)制作了一个聚氨酯颅腔模型,并做了更详细的脑部结构与功能研究[31]。
特暴龙出现在BBC的2005年电视节目《恐龙凶面目》(The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs)第二集,以及《与恐龙共舞》(Walking with Dinosaurs)的特别节目《镰刀龙探秘》(The Giant Claw)。片中一只特暴龙与一处水池边的镰刀龙发生短暂争斗,不久便受镰刀龙攻击随后悻悻然离去。
特暴龙也出现在韩国EBS制作的纪录片《最强王者:特暴龙》(Koreanosaurus,又译Tarbosaurus The Mightiest Ever),以及2012年的电影《恐龙王》(Speckles The Tarbosaurus,又译The Dino King)和续集《恐龙王:恐龙父子大冒险》(Dino King 3D: Journey to Fire Mountain)
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