Pachycephalosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids PachycephalosaurusTemporal range: Upper Cretaceous
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| Skull of Pachycephalosaurus at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. | |
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Pachycephalosaurus
Brown & Schlaikjer, 1943
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P. wyomingensis (Gilmore, 1931) (type) |
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Pachycephalosaurus was a type of dinosaur that lived a very long time ago, during the late Cretaceous Period. This was about 70 to 66 million years ago! It lived in what is now North America. Pachycephalosaurus is famous for its incredibly thick, dome-shaped skull. Scientists believe it was about 4.5 to 5 meters (15 feet) long, which is about the length of a small school bus. It was the biggest dinosaur in its family, the Pachycephalosaurids.
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What Pachycephalosaurus Looked Like
Pachycephalosaurus had a very special head. Its skull was super thick, like a bony helmet or a dome. This dome could be up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) thick! Around the back of its head, it had bony knobs and spikes. Scientists have mostly found only skulls and parts of these thick skull roofs. This is why we know so much about its head, but less about the rest of its body.
The Dome-Shaped Skull
The most amazing part of Pachycephalosaurus was its huge, bony dome. This dome was not smooth; it had a rough surface. Young Pachycephalosaurus might have had more spikes on their heads, which became smaller as they grew older and the dome got bigger.
Scientists have different ideas about why Pachycephalosaurus had such a thick skull.
- Head-butting: Some think they used their strong skulls to head-butt each other, like modern-day bighorn sheep. This could have been for fighting over mates or territory.
- Protection: Others believe the dome was mainly for protecting their brains from attacks by predators.
- Display: It might also have been used to show off to other dinosaurs, like a colorful crest on a bird.
What Pachycephalosaurus Ate
Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly what Pachycephalosaurus ate. It had small, ridged teeth that weren't very good for chewing tough plants. This means it probably didn't eat hard, fibrous plants like some other dinosaurs.
It's thought that Pachycephalosaurus had a varied diet, meaning it ate a mix of different things.
- Plants: It likely ate softer leaves, seeds, and fruit. Its sharp, serrated teeth would have been good for tearing up these softer plant parts.
- Insects: Some scientists also think it might have eaten insects, which would have added protein to its diet.
Where Pachycephalosaurus Lived
Pachycephalosaurus lived in what is now North America. Fossils have been found in places like Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming in the United States. These areas were part of a large landmass during the Late Cretaceous period. The environment back then was likely warm and humid, with lots of plants and other dinosaurs.
Images for kids
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Skull AMNH 1696
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The holotype adult skull of P. "reinheimeri" (DMNS 469)
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Restoration
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Size compared to a human
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Growth series showing reduction of spikes and growth of dome with age, according to Horner and Goodwin
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Restoration of head-butting subadults
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Depressions on the skull of specimen BMRP 2001.4.1
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Restoration of a specimen with a cranial lesion
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Pachycephalosaurus and other animals of the Hell Creek Formation
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See also
In Spanish: Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis para niños
