Corythosaurus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Extinct (fossil)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Corythosaurus casuarius Brown, 1914 |
Corythosaurus /kɒ'rɪ.θɒ.sʊə.rʊs/ meaning 'helmet lizard' because of the shape of its crest (Greek korythos meaning 'helmet' and sauros meaning 'lizard') was a duck-billed dinosaur genus from the Upper Cretaceous Period, about 80 million years ago. It lived in what is now North America.
Contents |
[edit] Discovery and species
The first specimen was discovered in 1912 by Barnum Brown in Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada . As well as an almost complete skeleton, the find was remarkable because much of the creature's fossilised skin had also survived. In 1916, the Canadian (Canadian Pacific Lines) ship Mount Temple was carrying two specimens and other fossils from today's Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada to Britain. It was sunk by the German surface raider SMS Moewe, sending its 75 million year old cargo to the bottom of the North Atlantic, where it rests to this day.[1]
[edit] Paleobiology
The beak was toothless, but the back of the jaws contained a dental battery composed of hundreds of small, interlocking teeth. These were used to crush and grind plant matter and were continually replaced as they wore away.
The nasal passages extended into the frill and probably allowed it to act as a sounding device. Corythosaurus weighed in at 4 tonnes and measured roughly 10 metres (35 ft) from nose to tail.
It was once thought that this dinosaur lived mostly in the water, due to the appearance of webbed hands and feet. However, it was later discovered that the so-called "webs" were in fact deflated padding, much like that found on many modern mammals.
Over 20 skulls have been found from this dinosaur. As with other lambeosaurs, the animal bore a tall, elaborate bony crest atop its skull, which contained the elongate nasal passages. The size and shape may have depended on the gender and age. Before that was discovered, up to seven different species were found. Now only one of them has been approved.
[edit] In popular culture
- A herd of Corythosaurs is featured in the film Jurassic Park III.
- They were also featured in the Vivendi Universal game Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis.
