Duck Billed Dinosaur | All About Hadrosaurus
The duck billed dinosaur was first lived in the Late Cretaceous before 86 to 66 million years ago. They were killed in the dinosaur extinction event which is known as Cretaceous tertiary extinction. They had lived on our Earth for a short period (20 million years).
The duck billed dinosaur was from the Ornithischian family. The duck billed dinosaurs were named because of their flat duck-bill look.
They were herbivores and had a large duck-like mouth. A duck billed dinosaur is termed a “Hadrosaurid”.
Table of Contents
Duck Billed Dinosaur – Fossils:
A Duck Billed dinosaur is recently found in Japan in the 2019s where the researchers reported that the skeleton of the largest ever dinosaur has been found which is a hadrosaur. The skeleton was found on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.
The fossils were moved towards Japan’s Museum of Nature and Human Activities. Before Museum, the skeleton was studied by Japan an international team of researchers from Southern Methodist University.
After research, SMU researcher said in a press release:
“They most likely used the Bering Land Bridge to cross from Asia to present-day Alaska and then spread across North America as far east as Appalachia”
Types of Hadrosaurid:
Hadrosaurids are classified into two different types. One is Hollow-Crested Lambeosaurinae and the other is Non-Crested Saurolophinae. Their fossils have been found in North America, South America, Asia, and Europe.
All of the Hadrosaurids were very tall. The fossils of the dinosaur found in Japan are considered to be 30ft long.
Hollow-Crested Hadrosaurids:
Hollow-Crested Hadrosaurids had two distinct head crests which gave them a unique style. This classification has further 8 species that have been discovered. Their head crest was hollow structured. According to experts their hollow appearance was due to nasal passages or to make a sound. Each Hollow-Crested Hadrosaur is a duck billed dinosaur.
Following are 8 species of Hollow-Crested Hadrosaurids that have been discovered:
Charonosaurus:
Charonosaurus was a very large duck billed dinosaur. The estimated height of the hadrosaur is 33ft long. They had a hollow crest. Charonosaurus is one of the largest hadrosaur founded in Asia. It was first found in China and its fossils are placed in Heilongjiang, China.
Corythosaurus:
Corythosaurus had lived 77 million years ago. Its skull looks like a helmet. They had lived in North America. Its estimated height is 30 ft. Corythosaurus is counted incomplete specimen of duck billed dinosaurs and other types of dinosaurs.
Lambeosaurus:
Lambeosaurus was a high, domed head crested dinosaur. This duck billed dinosaur had lived around 75-76 million years ago. Its meaning is “Lambe’s Lizard”. Lambeosaurus relayed on low-lying vegetation. The name of this dinosaur has changed many times but now, lambeosaurine is its name yet.
An amazing fact about the lambeosaurine duck billed dinosaur is that he replaced his teeth throughout its lifetime. Corythosaurus is closely related to lambeosaurine.
Tsintaosaurus:
Tsintaosaurus is also known as Qingdao Lizard. Tsintaosaurus fossils were found in Shangdong, China. Tsintaosaurus is considered to be a 33ft long dinosaur. Tsintaosaurus is the only dinosaur that looks like a Unicorn because of its unicorn-like crest on its head.
Magnapaulia:
Magnapaulia duck billed dinosaur had only a single species. Magnapaulia was a giant dinosaur with had a very tall and wide tail. Magnapaulia is considered to be a 49.2 to 54ft long duck billed dinosaur.
Pararhabdodon:
Pararhabdodon is one of the last non-avian dinosaurs known from the fossil records that extinct during the extinction event. This duck billed dinosaur was not too much tall. The fossils were found in Spain.
The old discoveries stated that the fossils are of Basal Hadrosaurid but new researches proved that the fossils belonged to Pararhabdodon.
Parasaurolophus:
Parasaurolophus was the smallest Hadrosaur and had a curved crest more than others. Parasaurolophus looks like an adornment. It had a thick tail. Its tail had been worked as a weapon against predators.
Velafrons:
Velafrons means Sailed Forehead. This duck billed dinosaur is a well-known dinosaur by its mostly complete skull.
The Non-Crested Hadrosaurids:
Following are the non-crested hadrosaurids:
- Edmontosaurus: Fossils were found in Canada and it is one of the largest species and skin impressions found with fossils.
- Gryposaurus: A genus of duck billed dinosaurs whose fossils were found in Canada.
- Secernosaurus: Fossils found in Argentina.
- Maiasaura: Fossils found in the USA. This duck billed dinosaur was found with 40 eggs.
- Brachylophosaurus: Fossils found in Canada.
- Aquilarhinus: Found in the USA.
- Shantungosaurus: Found in China. This duck billed dinosaur is the largest hadrosaur in the world yet according to fossils.
- Saurolophus: Fossils of his duck-billed dinosaur were found in China with a spike-shaped head.
Hope you have understood about the family of duck billed dinosaurs (Hadrosaurids).
Also Read: What dinosaur has 500 teeth
Last Updated on November 17, 2022
