Basic Hadrosaur Info
Hadrosaurs, also known as the duckbilled dinosaurs, were large, mainly bipedal vegetarians. Stomach contents containing high amounts of fungi provide evidence of a mushroom-rich diet, possibly aiding digestion. The majority of Hadrosaurs could walk on all fours, or on the rear legs. The family was large and varied, with a few noted below.
Charonosaurus
Charonosaurus was a large Hadrosaur from the late Cretaceous of Asia. With its tubular head “crest”, it resembled Parasaurolophus (below), but at 43 feet long, was much larger.
Edmontosaurus
Edmontosaurus is one of the best-known “duckbilled” dinosaur from the Cretaceous of North America. It was up to 43 feet long and 8800 pounds. Unlike many other well-known Hadrosaurs, it didn’t have any interesting head ornamentation. One specimen at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science has a large wound on its back. The wound healed over before the animal died and, due to the size and shape of the injury, the museums exhibit points out the wound was probably caused by a Tyrannosaurus, though that is, in my opinion, a large bit of speculation.
Miasaura
Yet another Hadrosaur from the Cretaceous of North America, the name Miasaura means “caring mother lizard”. Of course, dinosaurs are not actually lizards, but the name comes from the genus providing the first direct evidence of dinosaurs actively caring for and raising their young, which is far different than most non-dinosaurian reptiles do, and more common with birds.
Parasaurolophus
Looking very similar to Charonosaurus, Parasaurolophus lived during the late Cretaceous in North America. It was over 30 feet long and had a large, tubular crest on its head. This use of the crest is debatable, but the most common theory is that the tube was used to amplify the dinosaur’s “voice”. Several experimental models support the theory.
Shantungosaurus
Shantungosaurus lived during the late Cretaceous in Asia and would have been very similar to a very large Edmontosaurus. At nearly 50 feet long and weighing 36,000 pounds, it would have been larger than the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, especially in weight.
Tsintaosaurus
Tsintaosaurus was a strange Hadrosaur from east Asia. It was about 33 feet long and had a hornlike, upright crest on its head.
Hadrosaurs, also known as the duckbilled dinosaurs, were large, mainly bipedal vegetarians. Stomach contents containing high amounts of fungi provide evidence of a mushroom-rich diet, possibly aiding digestion. The majority of Hadrosaurs could walk on all fours, or on the rear legs. The family was large and varied, with a few noted below.
Charonosaurus
Charonosaurus was a large Hadrosaur from the late Cretaceous of Asia. With its tubular head “crest”, it resembled Parasaurolophus (below), but at 43 feet long, was much larger.
Edmontosaurus
Edmontosaurus is one of the best-known “duckbilled” dinosaur from the Cretaceous of North America. It was up to 43 feet long and 8800 pounds. Unlike many other well-known Hadrosaurs, it didn’t have any interesting head ornamentation. One specimen at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science has a large wound on its back. The wound healed over before the animal died and, due to the size and shape of the injury, the museums exhibit points out the wound was probably caused by a Tyrannosaurus, though that is, in my opinion, a large bit of speculation.
Miasaura
Yet another Hadrosaur from the Cretaceous of North America, the name Miasaura means “caring mother lizard”. Of course, dinosaurs are not actually lizards, but the name comes from the genus providing the first direct evidence of dinosaurs actively caring for and raising their young, which is far different than most non-dinosaurian reptiles do, and more common with birds.
Parasaurolophus
Looking very similar to Charonosaurus, Parasaurolophus lived during the late Cretaceous in North America. It was over 30 feet long and had a large, tubular crest on its head. This use of the crest is debatable, but the most common theory is that the tube was used to amplify the dinosaur’s “voice”. Several experimental models support the theory.
Shantungosaurus
Shantungosaurus lived during the late Cretaceous in Asia and would have been very similar to a very large Edmontosaurus. At nearly 50 feet long and weighing 36,000 pounds, it would have been larger than the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, especially in weight.
Tsintaosaurus
Tsintaosaurus was a strange Hadrosaur from east Asia. It was about 33 feet long and had a hornlike, upright crest on its head.
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text, photos, and website Copyright Nick Pfannenstiel
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