FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The Parksosaurus was a herbivore dinosaur that lived in the tropical region of North America a million years ago. Remains of this species were found in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation. This new species is considered to be hypsilophodont. These dinosaurs belong to the Parksosaurus genus and have a very interesting story behind their name. The fossil site is often in the range of Canada to America; Sternberg and Alberta are also better known for having fossil remains of this species. This herbivorous is a genus of hypsilophodonts from the very early Maastrichtian age. It was described that this species belonged to the upper Cretaceous age of Alberta, specifically the Horseshoe Canyon to be more detailed when talking about habitat.
This species is considerably thin in comparison to other dinosaurs of its size and is ossified. These dinosaurs are classified under hypsilophodontidae. Most studies on these Parksosaurus dinosaurs are done by Warren and Paul. More information was introduced to the world after research on the partial skull of this ornithopod. The Parksosaurus skull helped to research the body size, the head, and the neck area of this discovered species. The Parksosaurus dinosaur is said to be a robust species despite its tiny figure. Parksosaurus size wildlife in today's age can be seen reflecting on various larger animals from the savannah. To learn more about such amazing animals and their differences, make sure to check out our articles on the saber-toothed cat and the sea-sponge.
The Parksosaurus is assumed to be the last known ornithopod. This species was around 2.5 meters in height and was classified as hypsilophodonts. It can be pronounced as 'park-sow-saw-rus'. Part of the reason why they got their name is because their remains were collected by William Parks and they were also found in the formation of Alberta.
The Parksosaurus was always considered to be a hypsilophodont. However, earlier they were mentioned under the classification of Thescelosaurus and were called Thescelosaurus edmontonensis neglectus. Later, upon close inspection of their weight, toes, teeth, tail, and diet it became clear that they are a hypsilophodont.
They walked on Earth during the late Cretaceous time and were originally assumed to be the classification of Thescelosaurus. After a further classification of the specimen, their head or partial skull area provided a number of differences between them and their related species the Thescelosaurus neglectus.
This species used to live at the Edmonton formation, with a diet herbivore. Although hunting by predators was a reason for the population decline of this new species that was 2.5 meters tall, they went extinct due to unfavorable climates on Earth.
The Parksosaurus habitat is considered to be a few regions of North America and Canada. They share close relations with the Thescelosaurus edmontonensis, both with a similar height of 2.5 meters as assumed by Paul. This species also lived in regions such as Sternberg during the early and late Cretaceous period.
The Parksosaurus name means William Parks' lizard, as they were discovered by paleontologist William Parks. This genus was closely related to Thescelosaurus neglectus, thus therefore famously called the Thescelosaurus warreni. It was only after the classification of Thescelosaurus they were accepted as a new species and were assumed to be living in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation.
It can be said that during the Cretaceous time many dinosaurs lived with the Thescelosaurus warreni neglectus. Walking with dinosaurs Parksosaurus could be considered difficult as they were incredibly fast runners and had evolved legs for that. Other animals that lived with this hypsilophodontidae are ancestors of our modern-day leghorn chickens and parrots.
Many researchers with honors in the subject of paleobiology did a search on the lifespan of this William Park's lizard. This herbivorous dinosaur lived around 70 million years ago and the number of years it lived can be difficult to figure out but researchers believed it had a lifespan of 30-40 years.
Like any other animal, these hypsilophodonts also reproduced sexually and laid around 2-3 eggs. However, when it comes to reproduction among dinosaurs not much has been discovered. This Thescelosaurus warreni lived during the Cretaceous age and the specimen found does not reveal much about reproductory habits of this genus.
They had long toes for walking in mud and rivers and had strong arms. They are described to have had a horny and sharp beak and a small skull, along with a strong and short thigh. The neck was very long and the skull was small. They had powerful ribs and hindlimbs and a thin ossified cartilaginous. They used to walk on two legs, they were around 2-3 meters tall, and they had a long tail. The specimen resembled other animals such as the Thescelosaurus edmontonensis due to similar body length, diet, and appeared to have very few differences. However, later their fossil revealed many differences, and this animal was described under a different classification.
Its not known how many bones they had, but they had 18 teeth and were herbivorous. They had bones as part of their ribs, thighs, legs, as well as their toes.
Thescelosaurus warreni were smart creatures who lived during the Cretaceous time and often communicated through loud vocal calls and some visual signs. Dinosaurs are capable of communicating both vocally and visually.
The Thescelosaurus warreni is smaller in length than other animals or dinosaurs which lived nearby. This species had a history with predators and was often easy prey because of its small size. Sumatran tigers are around three times bigger in size than the Parksosaurus. However, this robust dinosaur was two times bigger in size than a cheetah.
Despite their small size, they benefitted greatly from their strong thigh muscles. These dinosaurs could run as fast as 30 miles per hour.
This animal from Sternberg weighed around 88.18-99.2 lb (40-45 kg).
There are no designated different names for males and females. Both sexes are called the same name.
Baby dinosaurs are addressed with the name nestlings like other reptiles.
A diet herbivore is followed by dinosaurs of this genus. Much research on fossils of the Parksosaurus from other areas such as Sternberg also revealed their herbivore diet.
The Parksosaurus was not aggressive in a general setting; however, it often ran very fast when hunted by a predator.
Only two different specimens of this family was found by paleontologists.
There is a very interesting story behind the Parksosaurus getting its name. It is called various names, such as Thescelosaurus warreni and Park's lizard. It was found near the Edmonton formation by William Parks, thus from here, it got the 'park'. Mrs. H D warren worked tirelessly on the history and research of this dinosaur. It is better known today only because of her incredible research, thus it got its other name Thescelosaurus warreni. The Parksosaurus name is due to researchers who made it possible to gain info on the species.
The most unique thing about the Parksosaurus is its speed and how quick these dinosaurs were. They could run as fast as 30 mph (48 kph).
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Howler monkey facts and probosci's monkey facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Parksosaurus connect the dots dinosaur coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.