STL Science Center

STL Science Center

27 January 2016

Hadrosaur Sized

Hadrosaurs were large ornithischian dinosaurs in their most common forms and in their most derived forms. Early hadrosaurs were small, compared to later hadrosaurs, but even these genera and species were rather large dinosaurs. The idea of a new clade proposed by Prieto-Marquez and Wagner based on Tsintaosaurus and Pararhbdodon and discussion of Tsintaosaurus' place in the evolution of Eurasian hadrosaurs makes us wonder how far into that family tree the position of Tsintaosaurus really is. Whether it has an early position within that new clade or a later position, it was a large hadrosaur with a unique crest. It is, of course, not as unique as the original description depicted it, but it is still uniquely shaped and more than likely produced a unique sound. Aside from its large, but average for a hadrosaur, size and odd crest, Tsintaosaurus was an average lambeosaurine hadrosaur. The post cranial body was typical of hadrosaurs and was not remarkable or unique among its family tree.

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