Edmontosaurus
Edmontosaurus regalis
Pronounced: ed - Mon
- toe - Saw - rus
Diet: Herbivore
(Plant-Eater)
Name Means: "Edmonton
Lizard"
Length: 43 feet (13
m)
Height: 16 feet (5 m)
Weight: 3 tons (2,700
kilos)
Time: Cretaceous
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur
have been found in Western North America
Edmontosaurus was possibly the largest of the
duck-billed hadrosaurs. It was a little bigger than a T.
rex and was probably a food source for the large
meat-eater. It walked on all four legs much of the time,
but it could also stand easily on its hind legs, as they
were much larger than its front legs. Edmontosaurus had
on average over 500 teeth and some had over 1,000! These
were all jammed together in what is called a dental
battery. This dinosaur could really chew up the tough
plants on which it fed.
Edmontosaurus was originally described as Anatosaurus
for many years the species annectens was attributed to
the genus Anatosaurus Now both Anatosaurus
and Claosaurus are known as Edmontosaurus. Hadrosaurs
were among the most common herbivores of the late
Cretaceous. Like other hadrosaurs, it had a beak that
was covered with a horny sheath. Excellent mummified
specimens of these dinosaurs have been found, adding a
great deal to the knowledge of dinosaur skin and
musculature.
When first discovered, many researchers thought these
dinosaurs would have lived in the water due to the shape
of their heads and the fact that one mummified specimen
seemed to have webbing on its front feet. Later research
has shown, however, that these creatures lived primarily
on coastal plains, floodplains and river deltas. Their
dental structure also supports a more terrestrial
lifestyle, as was perfectly suited for plants that were
found in forests near water, and not those that were
found in the water. Another interesting Edmontosaurus
feature is that the skin seemed to consist, at least
partly, of horny plates - good defense against glancing
bites and blows from predators. |
