What Is a Parasaurolophus?
The Parasaurolophus was a large, plant-eating dinosaur known for its distinctive cranial crest. This unique feature set it apart from other creatures roaming ancient North America during the Late Cretaceous period.
Defining Characteristics
The most recognizable feature of the Parasaurolophus was its long, backward-curving cranial crest. This hollow structure contained intricate internal tubes. Scientists propose several functions for this elaborate crest, including sound production, visual display, and thermoregulation. By blowing air through the hollow passages, the dinosaur could have produced low-frequency sounds, likely for communication within herds or as alarm calls.
Beyond its crest, the Parasaurolophus was a substantial dinosaur, typically measuring about 9 to 10 meters (30 to 33 feet) in length and weighing between 2.5 and 5.5 tons. It possessed the ability to move on either two or four legs, likely preferring a quadrupedal stance for foraging but shifting to bipedal movement for faster travel or to reach higher vegetation. Its snout was broad and “duck-billed,” equipped with dental batteries containing hundreds of grinding teeth that were continuously replaced to efficiently process tough plant material. Fossilized skin impressions suggest its body was covered in pebble-like scales.
Habitat and Lifestyle
The Parasaurolophus lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 76.5 to 73 million years ago. Its fossil remains have been discovered across western North America, with significant finds in Alberta, Canada, and in the US states of New Mexico and Utah. This dinosaur thrived in lush, floodplain environments with abundant plant life.
As an herbivore, the Parasaurolophus ate plants, including leaves, twigs, ferns, and pine needles. Its beak and grinding teeth were well-suited for processing this fibrous vegetation. It could also rear up on its hind legs to browse on plants up to 4 meters (13 feet) off the ground. Evidence suggests that Parasaurolophus likely lived in herds, a social behavior offering protection from predators and facilitating communication.
Discovery and Classification
Paleontologist William Parks first described the genus in 1922. The initial fossil, a skull and partial skeleton, was found in 1920 by a University of Toronto field party near the Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada. Parks named the type species Parasaurolophus walkeri in honor of Sir Byron Edmund Walker. The name “Parasaurolophus” translates to “beside crested lizard” or “near crested lizard,” reflecting an early perceived similarity to another dinosaur called Saurolophus.
The Parasaurolophus is classified as a hadrosaurid, a group commonly referred to as “duck-billed” dinosaurs due to their distinctive snout shape. More specifically, it belongs to the Lambeosaurinae subfamily, which distinguishes it as one of the hadrosaurs characterized by hollow cranial crests, unlike the Hadrosaurinae subfamily that typically lacked crests or had solid ones. Its closest known relative is believed to be Charonosaurus, a similar lambeosaurine from China.