← Rex's Notes
Parasaurolophus
A trombone with legs.
Said: pair-uh-saw-ROL-oh-fus
Era: Cretaceous · 76 to 73 million years ago
Diet: Herbivore
Habitat: Riverine forests of western North America
Size: about the length of two minivans nose to tail.
What it was like
The long curved tube on its head was hollow, like a trumpet. It could honk loud enough to be heard from a mile away.
What we know now
Computer models of the resonating chambers produce a low-frequency call around 30 Hz, well below most modern bird calls and audible across long distances. Crests differ in size between sexes and age groups. Thousands of dental batteries enabled efficient chewing of tough conifer needles.
Notes
- Could rear up on two legs to run, drop to four to graze.
- Three known species, each with a slightly different crest curve.
- Babies had stubby crests that grew dramatically through adolescence.