Parasaurolophus was a duck-billed characterized by a large curved head crest. An extension of the nasal passages, this crest served as a resonator that allowed Parasaurolophus to make loud bellowing sounds. Paleontologists are not sure if these calls served to warn other dinosaurs of danger or to attract a mate. Parasaurolophus lived in the Cretaceous period and has been found in Canada, New Mexico and Utah. It was a large animal reaching a length of 8.8 meters (30 feet) and weighing up to 4.4 metric tons (5 tons)! Like other hadrosaurs, Parasaurolophus was an herbivore with a toothless beak and powerful jaws equipped with hundreds of grinding teeth used for chewing tough vegetation. You can help uncover a cast of this dinosaur in the "What if..." Exhibit at The Children's Museum!
Click here to go to a picture of a Parasaurolophus that you can print out and color yourself.
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1999
