Written by
Kidadl TeamPublished on Apr 18, 2022
Written by
Kidadl TeamPublished on Apr 18, 2022
The name is in reference to the genus Rhabdodon and it means near Rhabdodon. Initially, the materials of Pararhabdodon were believed to belong to Rhabdodon. The classification of Pararhabdodon has always been controversial because of poor remains. In 1999, the species was assigned to the subfamily Lambeosaurinae however, later they were again shifted to the group of primitive hadrosauroid dinosaurs. Finally, in 2009, Pararhabdodon was permanently assigned as a Lambeosaurinae and specifically, to the tribe Tsintaosaurini. Unlike many other prehistoric dinosaurs, the Pararhabdodon was actually known from the fossils of five different specimens. This provides diversity in research for paleontologists and also indicates that Pararhabdodon was one of the common dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period in Europe. To know more interesting facts about the dinosaur, keep on reading the article.
The name Pararhabdodon is pronounced as 'Pah-rah-rab-doe-don'.
The Pararhabdodon is a type of Ornithischian with close similarities with the genus Rhabdodon or any similar type of primitive iguanodontian initially. Later, several discoveries in this field revealed the real nature of the dinosaur, and they were classified as hadrosauroid dinosaurs.
The Pararhabdodon evolved during the Maastrichtian age of the upper cretaceous. Their fossils were discovered from the Tremp Formation of Spain.
The genus Pararhabdodon lived in Europe up to 66 million years ago and became extinct during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
Pararhabdodon was a European ornithischian whose fossils were discovered from the Tremp Formation of Spain. They lived in Spain and possibly France.
Pararhabdodon lives in terrestrial habitats like all other nonavian dinosaurs.
Pararhabdodon fossils were discovered from different sites and they belonged to five individuals. It might be possible that they lived in herds. It is not known if they were rare.
Pararhabdodon came into existence in the upper Cretaceous and lived up to 66 million years ago on the earth's surface.
Like all other dinosaurs, Pararhabdodon was also reproduced by laying eggs. Additional information regarding the reproduction process of the animal is absent since it is not possible to conclude the reproductive behaviors of an animal from the fossils.
The fossils of Pararhabdodon implied that Pararhabdodon was probably a bipedal herbivore but due to scarce fossils, the physical description of the genus could not be established accurately. The synthesis of the fossils indicates that the specimen discovered belonged to a pre-mature dinosaur. Being one of the Hadrosaurs of Europe, these dinosaurs were associated with insular dwarfism too. It had an angular crest on the head. It can be assumed they were not slimy.
The total number of bones present in the body of a Pararhabdodon has not been determined. Paleontologists establish the description of the dinosaur from the fossils that were discovered. Known elements mostly include cranial remains such as vertebrae and partial maxilla. Further remains were discovered with time like partial scapula, part of the skull having the teeth, humerus, rear pelvis bone, and sacrum. It is not if they had strong teeth.
Like all other dinosaurs, Pararhabdodon also communicated using vocalizations.
The length of the Pararhabdodon holotype discovered was around 20 ft (6 m) but it was considered to belong to a baby. A full-grown Pararhabdodon reached sizes similar to Tsintaosaurus, which is around 30 ft (9.1 m).
A Pararhabdodon was a mid-sized ornithischian. They could move faster than the larger dinosaurs, however, their speed has not been determined.
The weight of a Pararhabdodon has unfortunately not been determined.
The male and the female species did not have any particular names, both of them were known as Pararhabdodon.
A baby Pararhabdodon is known as a nestling or a hatchling.
Pararhabdodon was a herbivore dinosaur, this makes them fas less aggressive than the flesh-eating predators.
The Cretaceous research implies that Pararhabdodon was the first species of lambeosaurine hadrosaurid of the region and they existed till the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction.
*We've been unable to source an image of Pararhabdodon and have used an image of Prenoceratops instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Pararhabdodon, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected]
*We've been unable to source an image of Pararhabdodon and have used an image of T-Rex instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Pararhabdodon, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected]
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