Parasaurolophus, meaning "near crested lizard, is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived in what is now North America during the Late Cretaceous period, about 76.5–73 MYA.
Facts[]
Parasaurolophus was a herbivore that walked both as a biped and a quadruped. Three species are recognized: P. walkeri (the type species), P. tubicen, and the short-crested P. cyrtocristatus. Remains are known from Alberta (Canada), and New Mexico and Utah (USA). The genus was first described in 1922 by William Parks from a skull and partial skeleton found in Alberta. Adults reached an estimated 9–11 meters(30–36 feet) long and weighed about 2-3 tons.
Parasaurolophus was a lambeosaurine hadrosaurid, part of a diverse family of Cretaceous dinosaurs known for their range of bizarre head adornments. This genus is known for its large, elaborate cranial crest, which at its largest forms a long curved tube projecting upwards and back from the skull. Charonosaurus from China, which may have been its closest relative, had a similar skull and potentially a similar crest. Arynesaurus and Blasisaurus may have been closer however. The crest has been much discussed by scientists; the consensus is that major functions included visual recognition of both species and sex, acoustic resonance, and thermoregulation. It is one of the rarer hadrosaurids, known from only a handful of good specimens.
In Walking with... Series[]
Walking with Dinosaurs: Inside Their World []
Parasaurolophus is one of the viewable dinosaurs in this app.
Gallery[]
In other media[]
Clash of the Dinosaurs[]
Parasaurolophus was one of the dinosaurs featured in this series.
Prehistoric Park[]
Read more at the Prehistoric Park Wiki
Parasaurolophus was one of the animals featured in the episode "SuperCroc", where it was prey to carnivores like Albertosaurus and Deinosuchus.
Jurassic Park[]
Read more at the Jurassic Park Wiki
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story[]
Read more at the We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story Wiki