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Dracorex facts for kids

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Dracorex
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 66Ma
The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - Dracorex skeletal reconstruction.jpg
Reconstructed skeleton, Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Scientific classification
Genus:
Dracorex
Species:
hogwartsia

Dracorex is a type of dinosaur called a pachycephalosaur. This means it had a very thick, bony skull. It lived about 65.5 to 65 million years ago. This was during the Late Cretaceous period. Dracorex lived in what is now the United States. Its fossils were found in a famous area called the Hell Creek Formation.

Discovering Dracorex

Scientists have only found a few parts of Dracorex. They found its skull and four neck bones. These bones are called cervical vertebrae. The skull was very unique. It had many spikes and bumps. It also had a flat, thick top. This is different from other pachycephalosaurs. Most others had a dome-shaped head.

What Does the Name Dracorex Mean?

The name Dracorex hogwartsia is very special. It means 'dragon king of Hogwarts'. The name was chosen because the dinosaur's skull looked like a dragon. It also honored the magical school from the Harry Potter books.

Where Did Dracorex Live?

Dracorex lived in the Hell Creek Formation. This area is now parts of Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas in the United States. Many other dinosaurs lived there too. These included Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. The Hell Creek Formation is famous for its many dinosaur fossils.

Is Dracorex a Young Pachycephalosaurus?

Some scientists think that Dracorex might not be its own type of dinosaur. They believe it could be a young Pachycephalosaurus. They also think Stygimoloch might be a young Pachycephalosaurus. As these dinosaurs grew, their skulls changed a lot. Spikes might have shrunk and domes might have grown. More research is being done to understand this idea.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Dracorex hogwartsia para niños

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