Edmontosaurus
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Edmontosaurus is a genus of herbivorous hadrosaurid dinosaur notable for its distinctive bill-shaped mouth. At 9m in length and over 3 tons in weight, Edmontosaurus is one of the largest hadrosaurids – but despite its bulky frame it can run at speeds of up to 30mph, allowing it to escape from predators.
Discovery
The first Edmontosaurus bones were discovered in 1891, when the ‘king of collectors’ John Bell Hatcher unearthed them in the Lance Formation, Wyoming. However, the fossils were initially considered a new species of Claosaurus – it wasn’t until 1917, and the discovery of two further skeletons in Edmonton, Canada, that it was classified as a new genus.
Palaeoecology
Edmontosaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous period around 65-75m years ago, and co-existed with dinosaurs like Triceratops, Albertosaurus and Pachycephalosaurus in the subtropical climate of Canada. It shared its environment with the apex predator Tyrannosaurus, relying on its speed and intelligence to stay safe.
Information
- Era
- Late Cretaceous
- Family
- Hadrosauridae
- Genus
- Edmontosaurus
- Height
- 3M
- Length
- 9M
- Weight
- 3.2T
- Diet
- Ground Paleobotany
- Egg batch size
- 2 - 5
