Stygimoloch
stig-ee-MOL-ock
Stygimoloch is an herbivorous dinosaur from the pachycephalosaur family that lived in the western United States around 65-68m years ago. This genus can grow to over 3m in length and is easily recognisable thanks to the large bony horns on the back of its head, which it uses to defend itself from predators. Its name translates to ‘Styx devil’, a reference to the river that separates Earth and the Underworld in Greek mythology.
Discovery
The history of Stygimoloch is somewhat controversial, with many competing views about its classification. The first Stygimoloch was discovered towards the end of the 19th Century in the Hell Creek Formation, Texas, but it wasn’t officially named until 1982, when Hans-Dieter Sues and Peter Galton formally described it as a new genus. Some experts now believe that the specimens found are in fact those of juvenile Pachycephalosaurus.
Palaeoecology
Stygimoloch co-existed with many other dinosaurs during the Late Cretaceous period, roaming the forests and plains of North America alongside Edmontosaurus, Triceratops and Ankylosaurus, as well as the apex predator Tyrannosaurus.
Information
- Era
- Late Cretaceous
- Family
- Pachycephalosauridae
- Genus
- Stygimoloch
- Height
- 1.7M
- Length
- 3.5M
- Weight
- 78Kg
- Diet
- Ground Palaeobotany
- Egg batch size
- 2 - 6
