What is special about the Parasaurolophus?
The most distinctive feature of Parasaurolophus was the long, narrow, backward-curving crest that grew out of the back of its skull. Recently, a team of paleontologists computer-modeled this crest from various fossil specimens and fed it with a virtual blast of air.
What did the Parasaurolophus look like?
Parasaurolophus grew to be about 40 ft (12 m) long and 8 feet (2.8 m) tall at the hips. It weighed about 2 tons. It had pebbly-textured skin, a spoon-shaped beak, and a pointy tail.
What type of dinosaur is a Parasaurolophus?
hadrosaurid
Parasaurolophus is a 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.
What did the Parasaurolophus use its crest for?
There were almost as many opinions as there were scientists. Depending on who you asked, the crest was used as a weapon, a foliage deflector, a cranial air tank, or even as a snorkel. But James Hopson had a different idea.
Where was the Parasaurolophus found?
All three North American species of Parasaurolophus lived in the warm, lush flats between the Rocky Mountains and inland seaway that existed during the late Cretaceous. Certain species at particular times could be found in southern Alberta, Utah, and New Mexico.
Is Parasaurolophus real?
Parasaurolophus, one of the dinosaurs that appeared in the films Jurassic Park and The Lost World, lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, about 75 million years ago. The crest of the Parasaurolophus was unearthed near Farmington on public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
Did Parasaurolophus have a beak?
Parasaurolophus had narrow beak, robust body, well-developed arms and strong legs. The most prominent feature on the body was backward-oriented, curved, tubular crest on the head.
What Colour was Parasaurolophus?
They had three skin variations, beige, greenish, and beige green. The ones seen in the Brachiosaurus Enclosure were also a greenish color with black stripes. Their crests would vary in color as well, with some having black, while others had dark gray crests.
Was the Parasaurolophus real?
Despite its popularity though (which seems to have arisen around the time of the dinosaur’s bit-part in Jurassic Park), Parasaurolophus remains a relatively rare hadrosaur compared to other famous duckbills from Cretaceous North America, and many strange ideas have surrounded it over the decades.
Why did Parasaurolophus have a head crest?
Parasaurolophus is often hypothesized to have used its crest as a resonating chamber to produce low frequency sounds to alert other members of a group or its species. This function was originally suggested by Wiman in 1931 when he described P. tubicen.
Is Parasaurolophus still alive?
Parasaurolophus (/ˌpærəsɔːˈrɒləfəs, -ˌsɔːrəˈloʊfəs/; meaning “near crested lizard” in reference to Saurolophus) is a genus of herbivorous hadrosaurid ornithopod dinosaur that lived in what is now North America and possibly Asia during the Late Cretaceous Period, about 76.5–73 million years ago.
What type of animal is Parasaurolophus?
Parasaurolophus ( / ˌpærəsɔːˈrɒləfəs, – ˌsɔːrəˈloʊfəs /; meaning “near crested lizard” in reference to Saurolophus) is a genus of herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur that lived in what is now North America and possibly Asia during the Late Cretaceous Period, about 76.5–73 million years ago.
How did Parasaurolophus communicate?
Parasaurolophus Used its Head Crest for Communication Kevin Schafer / Getty Images The most distinctive feature of Parasaurolophus was the long, narrow, backward-curving crest that grew out of the back of its skull. Recently, a team of paleontologists computer-modeled this crest from various fossil specimens and fed it with a virtual blast of air.
The head crest of Parasaurolophus probably served yet a third function: like the antlers of a modern-day deer, its slightly different shape on different individuals allowed members of the herd to recognize one another from far away.
Are there any Parasaurolophus fossils in Alberta?
Parasaurolophus remains are rare in Alberta, with only one other partial skull from (probably) the Dinosaur Park Formation, and three Dinosaur Park specimens lacking skulls, possibly belonging to the genus.