怪獵龍由卡爾(Thomas D. Carr)、威廉森(Thomas E. Williamson)、布里特(Brooks B. Britt)、史塔曼(Ken Stadtman)於2011年命名。模式種柯氏怪獵龍(T. curriei)亦是唯一已知種;屬名由希臘語teras(怪獸)加上phoneus(殺手)組成,[6]種名致敬古生物學家菲力·柯里(英語:Philip J. Currie)。[7]
正模標本是破碎的頭骨及部分顱後骨骼。起初歸入四隻不同個體,但可能其實全部屬於單一隻亞成體。該標本尚未完全成熟,卡爾等人估計身長6公尺及體重667公斤。[7]2016年,莫里納裴雷茲和拉臘曼迪估計身長6.4公尺及體重1.15噸。[8]葛瑞格利·保羅(英語:Gregory S. Paul)給出更高的估計值身長8公尺及體重2.5噸。[9]
2021年描述了來自猶他州南部凱帕羅維茲彩虹與獨角獸採石場(Rainbows and Unicorns Quarry)的怪獵龍屍骨層,顯示這種動物可能是社會性群聚掠食者。化石中包含了介於4至22歲的4或5隻個體,可能遭遇一場如洪水、中毒、乾旱、火災之類的大量死亡事件。全部動物都在單次短暫時間內死亡的跡象進而支持了暴龍科群居行為的論點,亞伯達龍、怪獵龍、懼龍屍骨層展現了群居行為可能普遍存在於暴龍科中。[5][11]
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Eaton, J.G. Multituberculate mammals from the Wahweap (Campanian, Aquilan) and Kaiparowits (Campanian, Judithian) formations, within and near Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, southern Utah.. Miscellaneous Publication - Utah Geological Survey. 2002.
Carr, T.D.; Williamson, T.E.; Britt, B.B.; Stadtman, K. Evidence for high taxonomic and morphologic tyrannosaurid diversity in the Late Cretaceous (Late Campanian) of the American Southwest and a new short-skulled tyrannosaurid from the Kaiparowits formation of Utah. Naturwissenschaften. 2011, 98 (3): 241–246. Bibcode:2011NW.....98..241C. PMID 21253683. S2CID 13261338. doi:10.1007/s00114-011-0762-7.
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Voris, Jared T.; Therrien, Francois; Zelenitzky, Darla K.; Brown, Caleb M. A new tyrannosaurine (Theropoda:Tyrannosauridae) from the Campanian Foremost Formation of Alberta, Canada, provides insight into the evolution and biogeography of tyrannosaurids. Cretaceous Research. 2020, 110: 104388. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104388.
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