Parasaurolophus walkeri

Overview

Parasaurolophus, meaning "near crested lizard," is one of the most distinctive dinosaurs ever discovered, instantly recognizable by its long, curved head crest that looks like a trombone! Living during the Late Cretaceous period (76-74 million years ago), this duck-billed dinosaur could make sounds unlike any other creature on Earth.

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Taxonomy & Classification

• Clade: Ornithischia (bird-hipped dinosaurs)
• Family: Hadrosauridae (duck-billed dinosaurs)
• Diet: Herbivorous
• Locomotion: Both bipedal and quadrupedal

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Physical Characteristics

Size & Build

• Length: 9-11 meters (30-36 feet)
• Height: About 5 meters (16 feet) when standing
• Weight: 2,700-3,600 kg (3-4 tons)

The Amazing Crest

The most famous feature—that incredible head crest:

• Up to 1.8 meters (6 feet) long!
• Curved backward over the shoulders
• Completely hollow inside
• Connected to the nasal passages
• Different sizes and shapes in different species
• Males likely had bigger crests than females

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The Musical Dinosaur

Built-In Trumpet!

The hollow crest was like a musical instrument:

• Air passed through long, curved tubes inside
• Could produce deep, booming sounds
• Like a trombone or foghorn!
• Scientists have recreated the sound using computer models
• Each species made different notes

What Were the Sounds For?

• Communication with the herd
• Warning calls about predators
• Mating calls to attract partners
• Identifying different species
• Possibly expressing emotions

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Other Crest Functions

More Than Just Music

The crest may have also been used for:

• Visual display (showing off to mates)
• Species recognition (identifying friends vs. strangers)
• Temperature regulation (warming or cooling air)
• Enhanced sense of smell (more surface area for smell receptors)

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Diet & Feeding

Duck-Billed Dining

Parasaurolophus was built for eating plants:

• Broad, flat "duck bill" for cropping vegetation
• Hundreds of teeth in the back of mouth
• Teeth arranged in "dental batteries"—constantly replaced!
• Could chew tough plant material efficiently
• Ate conifers, cycads, ferns, and possibly flowering plants

Feeding Style

• Could eat on two or four legs
• Used all fours for ground-level plants
• Rose on two legs to reach higher vegetation
• Probably ate constantly to fuel its large body

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Social Life

Herd Animals

Parasaurolophus likely lived in groups:

• Safety in numbers from predators
• Used sounds to coordinate movements
• Traveled together to find food and water
• Possibly migrated seasonally

Nesting

• Probably nested in colonies like many hadrosaurs
• Cared for eggs and possibly young
• Hatchlings had much smaller crests that grew as they aged

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Predators

Dangerous Neighbors

Parasaurolophus had to watch out for:

• Tyrannosaurus rex and relatives
• Dromaeosaurs (raptor-type dinosaurs)
• The crest's warning sounds helped the whole herd escape!

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Discovery & Fossils

Where Found

• First discovered in Alberta, Canada in 1920
• Also found in New Mexico and Utah, USA
• Several species identified
• Some of the best-preserved hadrosaur skulls

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Different Species

Species	Crest Shape	Location
P. walkeri	Long, curved backward	Canada
P. tubicen	Longer, more curved	New Mexico
P. cyrtocristatus	Shorter, rounder	Utah

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Pop Culture Fame

On Screen

• Featured in Jurassic Park films
• Popular in documentaries
• One of the most recognizable dinosaurs
• Kids love the unique crest shape!

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Cool Facts

• Scientists created a 3D model to recreate its actual sounds!
• The crest was full of air passages, not solid bone
• Baby Parasaurolophus had almost no crest—it grew as they aged
• It could probably run at 25 mph on two legs
• The duck bill had no teeth in front—just a beak!
• Different species could be identified by their unique calls
• The name means "near crested lizard" (named for its similarity to another dinosaur)
• A full-grown crest contained about 16 feet of nasal tubes!

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Parasaurolophus was the musical maestro of the Cretaceous—a dinosaur whose incredible head crest allowed it to fill the ancient world with sounds we can only imagine today!