Lophorhothon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lophorhothon |
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| Skull | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | †Ornithischia |
| Suborder: | †Ornithopoda |
| Clade: | †Hadrosauromorpha |
| Genus: | †Lophorhothon Langston, 1960 |
| Type species | |
| †Lophorhothon atopus Langston, 1960
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Lophorhothon (pronounced LOH-foh-ROH-thon) was a type of dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. It was a hadrosaurid, also known as a "duck-billed dinosaur." This amazing creature holds a special place in history because it was the very first dinosaur ever discovered in the state of Alabama in the United States.
Discovering Lophorhothon
The bones of Lophorhothon were first found in the 1940s. They were uncovered in Dallas County, Alabama, which is west of a town called Selma, Alabama. These bones were found in an area where the ground had worn away, revealing parts of the Mooreville Chalk Formation. Scientists believe this small dinosaur was a type of saurolophine, which is a group of hadrosaurs.
What Kind of Dinosaur Was It?
Lophorhothon was a hadrosaurid, meaning it was part of a family of dinosaurs known for their unique duck-like bills. These dinosaurs were plant-eaters. Scientists are still studying Lophorhothon to learn more about it. Some experts have even wondered if it might be an early relative of another dinosaur called Prosaurolophus.
The main fossil specimen of Lophorhothon (called the holotype) likely ended up in the sea. It might have been carried there by a river. Once in the sea, it probably sank and was covered by soft, muddy sediments. Over millions of years, these sediments turned into rock, preserving the dinosaur's bones.
Images for kids
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Reconstruction of the skull
See also
In Spanish: Lophorhothon atopus para niños
