Fun Probactrosaurus Facts For Kids

Probactrosaurus (meaning 'before bactrosaurus') is a genus that is considered to be the immediate ancestor of Bactrosaurus dinosaurs. The three species of this genus, Probactrosaurus gobiensis, Probactrosaurus mazongshanensis, and Probactrosaurus alshanicus, are known to have lived during the early Cretaceous period.

The specimens of the species, along with the holotype specimen, have been discovered from modern-day China, which inspires paleontologists to believe that the genus might have been endemic to that land. The holotype specimen, a partial skeleton with a skull, establishes the fact that these dinosaurs were among one of the biggest.

The estimated length and weight of this dinosaur from China are sure to leave astonished!

These herbivores are closely related to genera such as Altirhinus, and hence, the classification as an ornithopod herbivore is obvious. Don't be coerced into thinking that all large dinosaurs were dangerous, because the Probactrosaurus was not only herbivorous and preferred to live in packs, it was also a genus of peaceful animals!

Probactrosaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Probactrosaurus'?

The name of these beautiful dinosaurs from modern-day China could be pronounced as "pro-bak-trow-sore-us".

What type of dinosaur was a Probactrosaurus?

Probactrosaurus is a member of the dinosaur family Iguanodontidae, and is an ornithopod. The classification of the genus has been made into three possible species, which are, Probactrosaurus mazongshanensis, P. gobiensis, and P. alshanicus.

In which geological period did the Probactrosaurus roam the earth?

The geological era during which this genus is said to have tread the surface of the earth is the Early Cretaceous period. If you are wondering how long ago that would have been, you will be astounded to know that the Early Cretaceous period was around 120 million years ago!

When did the Probactrosaurus become extinct?

The exact timeline of the extinction of the three speculated species of Probactrosaurus is yet to be studied through the many fossil remains that have been discovered.

Where did a Probactrosaurus live?

While it is hardly possible for us to picture exactly what earth as a whole, or modern-day China, in particular, looked like 120 million years ago, we think it is pretty clear that this species would have liked to live around tall trees and dense forest areas, given the herbivorous diet!

What was a Probactrosaurus's habitat?

The fossil remains of the Probactrosaurus, including those of the second species (P. alshanicus) and the third species (Probactrosaurus mazongshanensis) have been found in places such as Inner Mongolia, China, and Maortu, hence, it is believed that these dinosaurs may have been endemic to the land.

Who did a Probactrosaurus live with?

While the exact behavior patterns of the three Probactrosaurus species are yet to be estimated from the specimens, it is assumed that since these large dinosaurs were herbivorous, they might have preferred to live in large packs - as is a virtue possessed by others of the Iguanodontidae and ornithischian families.

How long did a Probactrosaurus live?

Neither the holotype specimen nor the other fossil remains have been able to tell us the lifespan of the average Probactrosaurus dinosaur.

How did they reproduce?

Dinosaurs are known to have been oviparous, and hence, the Bactrosaurus and its ancestor, Probactrosaurus, reproduced by laying eggs. Unfortunately, we do not know the courting habits that these gigantic creatures might have had, but aren't you curious to know how big a Probactrosaurus' egg would be!

Probactrosaurus Fun Facts

What did a Probactrosaurus look like?

The partial skeleton and holotype specimen of the Probactrosaurus gobiensis was such that classification under the family of Hadrosauridae was without question. These giant dinosaurs of enormous length and weight are closely related to dinosaurs such as Ignuanodon and hence, also resemble them through the shape of the mouth, diet, and body configuration.

The Probactrosaurus had beak-like mouths that were equipped to tear foliage from tall trees.

They also had long hind limbs and a long tail. The forelimbs, on the other hand, were quite small and were not used for locomotion.

How many bones did a Probactrosaurus have?

The holotype specimen of the Probactrosaurus gobiensis (Rozhdestvensky) is only a partial skeleton and a skull. Even the specimens that were found subsequently were all partial, and some of them were also lost. Since the discovery of all the bones is yet to be made, we do not know how many bones this genus might have had.

How did they communicate?

Herbivores from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods have the tendency to not only live in large packs but also communicate amongst themselves. While we admittedly did not come across a study that would tell us to exact how this animal would sound, it is safe to say that this ancient giant dinosaur would have anything but a shrill call!

How big was a Probactrosaurus?

The average Probactrosaurus gobiensis (Rozhdestvensky), according to the studies held on the holotype skeleton, could reach a height of 18 ft (5.5 m)! That is at least four times an average human being!

How fast could a Probactrosaurus move?

According to the structure of the skeleton and the predicted lean-built bodies of the Probactrosaurus gobiensis, it is assumed that whilst they were not the fastest dinosaurs that have ever tread the earth, they could be fast if needed!

How much did a Probactrosaurus weigh?

The weight of an average Probactrosaurus would be a staggering 1.1 ton (1 tonne)!

What were the male and female names of the species?

Unfortunately, there are no distinct names for the male and female Probactrosaurus, and hence, we have decided to refer to them as the male Probactrosaurus and female Probactrosaurus respectively.

What would you call a baby Probactrosaurus?

Since Probactrosaurus, like all other dinosaur species, are known to have been oviparous, the baby Probactrosaurus would be called a hatchling!

What did they eat?

Like other members of the Hadrosauridae family, the Probactrosaurus was herbivorous. This gigantic animal, in spite of what we may gather from the massive length and breadth of body, was only known to have indulged in the rich, green foliage of trees!

How aggressive were they?

Herbivores are hardly ever recognized as animals that could be aggressive. Moreover, it is only rarely that a dinosaur that preferred to live in large packs would turn out to be violent in any way, and the Probactrosaurus is no exception to this thumb rule.

Did you know...

The holotype specimen of the Probactrosaurus gobiensis consists of a partial skeleton and a skull.

The second species was named after the discovery of a specimen that was later understood to be the back of a Probactrosaurus skull.

The other two species that have yet been named include Probactrosaurus mazongshanensis and Probactrosaurus alshanicus.

The deruvation of the name of this genus is quite interesting. Probactrosaurus, meaning 'before bactrosaurus', is a name that sprouted by an idea that this genus was the immediate ancestor of the Bactrosaurus species. The theory, however, has now been discarded - but our ancient friends will forever have this name!

Was Probactrosaurus endemic to present-day China?

The remains of this ancient dinosaur of the early Cretaceous period have only been found in places such as modern-day China, Mongolia, and Maortu, and hence, there is considerable reason to believe that these were endemic to the land.

Is Probactrosaurus related to some other genus?

Probactrosaurus is closely related to the genus Equijubus and Altirhinus.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover!

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Probactrosaurus coloring pages.

Main image by Greg Goebel and second image by Deibvort.