Parasaurolophus Size report

Parasaurolophus (genus name: Parasaurolophus), which means "almost-crested lizard," is a genus of hadrosaurids that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous period, about 76 million to 73 million years ago. Fossils of Parasaurolophus have been found in Alberta, New Mexico, and Utah. Paleontologists speculate that Parasaurolophus was a herbivorous dinosaur that walked on two or four legs.

Dinosaurs made reptiles reach their peak. This huge group of more than 1,000 members had dominated the earth for nearly 160 million years. The period when dinosaurs ruled the earth is the Mesozoic Era in geological history. There are three periods: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. Parasaurolophus existed in the third period. However, the Cretaceous period ended with an earth-shattering mass extinction, which occurred 65 million years ago.

It caused the extinction of 45% of animals on the planet, including the dinosaurs; Parasaurolophus also completely disappeared. Although this prehistoric wildlife disappeared, the remaining fossils proved that Parasaurolophus had come to this world. This post will introduce more interesting facts about Parasaurolophus.

Parasaurolophus Size And Appearance

Parasaurolophus is an ornithopod dinosaur whose most notable feature is the club-shaped crest extending from its head, which is longer than that of other crested dinosaurs. Biologists don't have a unified understanding of the role of the crest of Parasaurolophus; comments on the functions include gender and species identification, resonator, and body temperature regulation. Parasaurolophus had very strong forelimbs for walking and swimming. From the only forelimbs found, their forelimbs were shorter than those of other hadrosaurids, and they had short and broad shoulder blades. The dark skin of Parasaurolophus helped for avoiding the attack of carnivorous dinosaurs. When they are in the night or the jungle, their bodies are integrated with the surrounding environment, making it difficult for predators to find them. According to the inference of paleontologists, Parasaurolophus is a social animal.

Average Size of Parasaurolophus

Little is known about Parasaurolophus's specific appearance, size, and living habits. Only partial skeletons of Parasaurolophus have been found so far. The holotype of Parasaurolophus is 9.5 meters long, and the holotype of its skull and crest ranges from 1.6-2 meters. According to the discovered fossils and existing research data, it is speculated that Parasaurolophus weighed 2.5-3.5 tons and has an overall length between 9-11 meters and a standing height of 4.5-5.5 meters.

Living Habits of Parasaurolophus

According to the inference of paleontologists, Parasaurolophus is a social animal. Parasaurolophus was a large, herbivorous dinosaur that walked on two or four legs. The teeth of Parasaurolophus are constantly growing and replacing. They have hundreds of teeth, and only a few teeth are always used. In the process of eating, Parasaurolophus will use their very keen senses to maintain vigilance. Once they find that the enemy is approaching, they will quickly flee.

Final Words

Parasaurolophus was first described in 1922 by William Parks from a skull and partial skeleton found in Alberta. The fossil was named P.walkeri. by William Parkes. Scientists have been studying Parasaurolophus for a long time. The relatively well-preserved Parasaurolophus fossil specimen found so far is a skull and a part of the skeleton. It is the holotype of Parasaurolophus. What is missing is the parts below the knee: the hind limbs and most of the tail.