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Concept
Parasaurolophus
Summary
Parasaurolophus (ˌpærəsɔːˈrɒləfəs,_-ˌsɔːrəˈloʊfəs; meaning "near crested lizard" in reference to Saurolophus) is a genus of hadrosaurid "duck-billed" dinosaur that lived in what is now western North America and possibly Asia during the Late Cretaceous period, about 76.5–73 million years ago. It was a herbivore that could move as both as a biped and as a quadruped. Three species are universally recognized: P. walkeri (the type species), P. tubicen, and the short-crested P. cyrtocristatus. Additionally, a fourth species, P. jiayinensis, has been proposed, although it is more commonly placed in the separate genus Charonosaurus. Remains are known from Alberta, New Mexico, and Utah, as well as possibly Heilongjiang if Charonosaurus is in fact part of the genus. The genus was first described in 1922 by William Parks from a skull and partial skeleton found in Alberta.
Parasaurolophus was a hadrosaurid, part of a diverse family of large Late Cretaceous ornithopods that known for their range of bizarre head adornments, which were likely used for communication and increased hearing. This genus is known for its large, elaborate cranial crest, which forms a long curved tube projecting upwards and back from the skull in its largest form. Charonosaurus from China, which may have been its closest relative, had a similar skull and a potentially similar crest. Visual recognition of both species and sex, acoustic resonance, and thermoregulation have been proposed as functional explanations for the crest. It is one of the rarer hadrosaurids, known from only a handful of good specimens.
Meaning "near crested lizard", the name Parasaurolophus is derived from the Greek words para/παρα ("beside" or "near"), saurus/σαυρος ("lizard"), and lophos/λοφος ("crest"). It is based on ROM 768, a skull and partial skeleton missing most of the tail and the back legs below the knees, which was found by a field party from the University of Toronto in 1920 near Sand Creek along the Red Deer River in Alberta.
Official source
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