Charonosaurus

genus of reptiles (fossil)

Charonosaurus was a genus of hadrosaur that lived at the very end of the Upper Cretaceous, about 65 million years ago. Its remains were found in China.

Charonosaurus
Scientific classification
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Genus:
Charonosaurus
Species:
C. jiayinensis

The partial skull resembles that of Parasaurolophus from North America. This does not suggest a Bering land bridge existed during the Cretaceous period, since at that time North America was far away from Eastern Asia. Instead, it is likely that this group of hadrosaurs all had a similar long, backward-projecting hollow crest. It may have been used for trumpeting their calls. In other words, their skull shape was a basal feature.

Charonosaurus was a very large lambeosaurine hadrosaur (estimated around 13 m (42.5 ft) long),[1] known from a partial skull found in Heilongjiang Province, northeastern China. Adult and juvenile hadrosaur remains were found in the same area. They give information on the rest of the skeleton; the femur length was up to 1.35 m. (4.5 ft).

In popular culture change

Charonosaurus was featured in the Discovery Channel television documentary The Last Day of the Dinosaurs, where it was the prey of Troodon.

References change

  1. "Charonosaurus". Archived from the original on 2009-07-07. Retrieved 2012-04-07.