Fun Parasaurolophus Facts For Kids

Parasaurolophus walkeri also commonly known as the near crested lizard was a dinosaur that belonged to the late Jurassic or more promptly the late cretaceous period. Based on the history and researches conducted on its fossils, it has been concluded that they lived around 73 million years ago. The genus of Parasaurolophus' was described by William Parks in the year 1922. It was William Parks who gave the dinosaur its name walkeri as an honor for Edmund Walker.

The Parasaurolophus has a crest on its head which marked its special feature. Along with that, the Parasaurolophus is known for its feet mainly because it can switch between bipedal and quadrupedal features whenever needed. This means the dinosaur was known to use its four feet while foraging but switching to the hindlimbs while running. This could also be because of the tons of weight that made the dinosaur heavy and the hind legs being strong helped them cover a larger distance easily. The Parasaurolophus were strong swimmers and usually used their swimming ability to escape from the threats on land.

To read more about similar dinosaurs from the Jurassic or cretaceous age check out Ichthyovenator facts and Heterodontosaurus fun facts.

Parasaurolophus walkeri also commonly known as the near crested lizard was a dinosaur that belonged to the late Jurassic or more promptly the late cretaceous period. Based on the history and researches conducted on its fossils, it has been concluded that they lived around 73 million years ago. The genus of Parasaurolophus' was described by William Parks in the year 1922. It was William Parks who gave the dinosaur its name walkeri as an honor for Edmund Walker.

The Parasaurolophus has a crest on its head which marked its special feature. Along with that, the Parasaurolophus is known for its feet mainly because it can switch between bipedal and quadrupedal features whenever needed. This means the dinosaur was known to use its four feet while foraging but switching to the hindlimbs while running. This could also be because of the tons of weight that made the dinosaur heavy and the hind legs being strong helped them cover a larger distance easily. The Parasaurolophus were strong swimmers and usually used their swimming ability to escape from the threats on land.

To read more about similar dinosaurs from the Jurassic or cretaceous age check out Ichthyovenator facts and Heterodontosaurus fun facts.

How do you pronounce 'Parasaurolophus '?

The dinosaurs' Parasaurolophus pronunciation goes like 'para-saw-rol-ofus'.

What type of dinosaur was a Parasaurolophus?

The reference and specimens discovered of this dinosaur suggest that it was a hadrosaurid ornithopod dinosaur. It belonged to the Hadrosaurs family and had a distinctive duck-bill.

In which geological period did the Parasaurolophus roam the earth?

Parasaurolophus dinosaur is the Hadrosaur group of dinosaurs. They belonged to the Late Cretaceous period which came in after the Jurassic age and dated between 73-76 million years ago.

When did the Parasaurolophus become extinct?

Based on the facts gathered over the decades, one can say that this species related to the Hadrosaurs lived during the 73-76 million years before. With this data history, it is clear that this species became extinct in the Late Cretaceous period around 73 million years ago.

Where did a Parasaurolophus live?

According to the Parasaurolophus facts discovered over the ages, it has been concluded that this animal lived in the regions of Asia and North America. A number of their fossils were retrieved from the areas of Utah, Alberta, Canada, and New Mexico as they had a favorable warm temperature and vegetation for their growth.

What was a Parasaurolophus's habitat?

It is assumed that these animals loved to seek natural habitats with enough vegetation due to their herbivorous diet. Even though researchers were able to develop these assumptions, the acceptable habitat range required by this species with tons of weight is unknown. The climate they specifically preferred living in is not known.

Who did a Parasaurolophus live with?

These dinosaurs were considered to be social beings, and based on the Parasaurolophus facts, one may say that this species with two legs or four legs were known to live in its herd.

How long did a Parasaurolophus live?

The definite lifespan of this dinosaur - just like its subspecies, P. cyrtocristatus and others of the related dinosaurs, is unknown.

How did they reproduce?

Like the other dinosaur species, the Parasaurolophuslso is considered an egg-laying creature, although the complete information about its reproductive process is unknown.  

What did a Parasaurolophus look like?

The fossil based skeleton information about the Parasaurolophus is incomplete. Although it is known that this dinosaur had a long curved crest on its head which marked its distinction from the other dinosaurs. This hollow cranial crest connected the nasal pipe back into the skull - through and through. Apart from the crests, these animals are known for their strong upper arms, legs, and pelvis.

These animals ideally had four feet. They used all four feet while foraging whereas used the hind legs while running. This was mainly because the forelimbs were shorter in length than the hindlimb. At the back this creature had a tall and narrow tail which complimented the other end of the body with a narrow beak. They used this beak to chew off plant matter and mince it with the small teeth. They had interesting teeth as when Parasaurolophus teeth eroded, a new set of teeth grew back again in a limited time span.

How many bones did a Parasaurolophus have?

The fossil prints or the specimens retrieved of the skull suggest that this range of dinosaurs had strong bones although the natural number of their bones is unknown.

How did they communicate?

It is believed that the crests on the head of these animals were more than just visual distinctive features. This is because researchers have assumed that the Parasaurolophus used the crest to communicate with each other. They may have also used the crest to create a distinctive Parasaurolophus sound as a means of vocal communication.

How big was a Parasaurolophus?

Parasaurolophus fossil and specimens suggest that these were one of the largest living hadrosaurs in history with a length of up to 480 in (1219.2 cm) and a height range of up to 108 in (274.3 cm).

Their body was four times the length of Microhadrosaurus.

How fast could a Parasaurolophus move?

These animals had a weight in tons that made them heavy. Their four feet were used while foraging. Because their forelimbs were shorter, they used their bipedal locomotion in order to travel longer distances. It is assumed that with their said length, weight, and the strong feet they could travel up to 25 mph (40.2 kph).

How much did a Parasaurolophus weigh?

This group of Parasaurolophus walkeri dinosaurs from the late Jurassic period had a weight range between 4000-7716.2 lb (1814.4-3500 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

The name Parasaurolophus walkeri is sex-neutral, used for both males and females. In fact, the crest on this dinosaur's head is something that is assumed to have helped them identify the sex of the opposite creature.

What would you call a baby Parasaurolophus?

Since history it is considered that the dinosaur is a egg-laying reptile. Hence, a baby of the Parasaurolophus can be called a hatchling or a juvenile.

What did they eat?

Parasaurolophus breed of dinosaur was herbivore in its natural form. Hence, they preferred to locate themselves in areas with good amount of vegetation. These creatures had many fine teeth that they used to mince the plants and all the associated plant material.

How aggressive were they?

Parasaurolophus was a highly social dinosaur and was never assumed to have engaged in combat or physically aggressive behavior. In case of a conflict, it is assumed that the visual display of size was used to win a the disagreement instead of engaging in confrontation.

Did you know...

A different species of tyrannosaurids were natural enemies of the Parasaurolophus breed.

This species of Parasaurolophus has had its Hollywood feature more than once. They were featured in the famous Jurassic Park, another animated movie named Dinosaur, and in a TV series named Land Before Time.

What did the Parasaurolophus use its crest for?

The crest present on the head of this dinosaur is highly used by the breed for different reasons. First of all, the crest is a distinctive element as it connected their nasal canal to the skull. The dinosaur used it to make trambone-like sounds which helped them communicate with each other.

It also helped them in making a few low-frequency as well as high-pitched sounds like that of snorkeling, infrasonic bass sounds, honking call, and more. They used the crest as an identifying element in their dinosaur clan as it helped them understand the age and sex of the dinosaur in front of them.

What is special about the Parasaurolophus?

Parasaurolophus walkeri, was also known as the near crested lizard. Based on its history, the name meant 'like-saurolophus' meaning a dinosaur that shared its characteristics with the saurolophus. Parasaurolophus was a dinosaur known for its special head crest, and strong legs. It used these legs to walk either in a bipedal or quadrupedal fashion whenever needed. Their well-developed and strong arms, and their distinctive process of teeth replacement that continued throughout their lifetime was something that added to their special features. Additionally, this creature weighed in tons and could still travel quite far. It used it's tail to defend itself.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Tupandactylus fun facts, or Thalassomedon facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable dinosaurs riding a motorcycle coloring pages.

Main image by Marcus33

Second image by Jonathan Chen