Corythosaurus
Corythosaurus casuarius
Pronounced:
kore - Ith - oh -Saw - rus
Diet:
Herbivore (plant eater)
Name Means:
"Corinthian Lizard"
Length:
33 feet (10 m)
Height:
14 feet (4 m)
Weight:
3.5 tons (3,200 kilos)
Time:
Late Cretaceous - 75 MYA
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in Western North America
Corythosaurus
is a member of
the
planting-eating,
duck-billed
dinosaur family
that is
sometimes
referred to as
hadrosaurs. It
had a toothless,
wide beak and
hundreds of
teeth in the
back part of its
mouth that it
used for
grinding tough
plants to mush.
Like other
duckbills, it
was a herd
animal that
traveled in
large groups.
Fossils of this
dinosaur are
sometimes found
together with
other
plant-eating
dinosaurs, which
leads scientists
to believe that
different types
of plant-eaters
grouped together
to feed, drink
and maybe even
migrate (moving
from one area to
another).
Corythosaurus gets its name
from the bony crest on top of
its head because it brings to
mind the helmets worn by ancient
Corinthian warriors. The crest
grew until adulthood and was
likely used as a mating ritual
ornament. There appears to be
gender differentiation regarding
the size of the crest, with
males having a larger crest. At
least 10 skulls have been
identified from this species,
giving scientists a good look at
individual and gender
differentiation. Fossilized skin
remains have also been found,
further contributing to the
knowledge of Corythosaurus. |
