Parasaurolophus (name meaning "Near-Crested Lizard"), often called Parasaur for short, is a genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now North America. Instantly recognizable due to its elongated head crest, Parasaurolophus is perhaps the most well-known hadrosaur.
Thought to have been extinct for 65 million years, there are still herds that remain alive on Primeval Island.
Facts[]
Era & Discovery[]
Parasaurolophus lived during the Late Cretaceous in North America from 76 – 65 million years ago, living up until the end of the Mesozoic when the dinosaurs died out. They shared their environments with other hadrosaurus, like the ceratopsian dinosaurs, Ankylosaurus, and was also preyed upon by the raptor dinosaurs, Deinosuchus, and the large Tyrannosaur family.
Parasaurolophus was first described in 1922 by William Parks. It is one of the rarer hadrosaurids, known from only a handful of good specimens. William Parks named the specimen in honor of Sir Byron Edmund Walker, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Ontario Museum. Since its discovery, Parasaurolophus has become one of the most popular dinosaurs in media and art, thanks to its distinctive head crest.
Discovery & Range[]
Parasaurolophus was discovered by Dr. William A. Parks in 1922 in North America.
Physical Description[]
Parasaurolophus had a long narrow head with large eyes on a mid-length neck, a hard beak and a narrow snout with pebbly textured skin and uniform tubercle-like scales. Parasaurolophus is most recognizable by its large and elaborate cranial crest that researchers believe could have measured as long as 6 1/2 feet long.
Behavior & Traits[]
Like all hadrosaurs and other herbivorous dinosaurs, Parasaurolophus lived in large herds of dozens, even hundreds of individuals. They were said to use their long crests as a form of communication between members of the herd. Parasaurolophus, at the very least the juveniles, and were curious creatures as well.
Trivia[]
- The sound effects of Parasaurolophus are that of camel, geese, and moose sound effects as well as an unknown trumpeting sound for their calling sound.
