Page 35 - Prehistoric Animals

Cor-Ith-O-Sore-Us

Corythosaurus

What is a Dinosaur ?
Known as a Dinosaur

Corythosaurus (Helmeted lizard) is a genus of
hardrosaurus (Duck-billed) dinosaur that lived in the
Late cretaceous, about 77 million years ago in North
America. Its body length is approximately 9 metres and
its overall weight has been estimated at around 3 to 5
tonnes. Its most distinguishing feature is a large semi-
circular crest on its scull. First unearth by Barnum
Brown in 1911, he named it in 1914; Corythosaurus cas-
uarius. Since its discovery Corythosaurus has been rec-
ognised as a Lambeosaurine (related to other genera of
crested hadrosaurid (Duck billed) dinosaurs).

Although some of the best remains of Cory-
thosaurus where lost forever during the two world wars
there are still ample specimens available today to draw
a reasonably accurate picture of Corythosaurus and how
it lived.

Its known Corythosaurus was an herbivore as Veg-
etation was found lodged in the chest cavity of the first
fossil found. It’s also believed to have lived its life as a
semi bipedal; standing and walking on its hind limbs to
feed from trees and high growing vegetation, but hunk-
ering down on all fours to forage at ground level. In the
Late cretaceous, North America, was a very wet and
marshy environment. So it was no surprise to discover
it had webbed feet and hands. Also, its tail shape and
size is likened to that of animals that did a lot of swim-
ming. It’s was clear from the fossil evidence; Cory-
thosaurus was a dinosaur that spent a lot of time in wa-
ter.

Its head had a long snout with a beak and jaws
lined with short, sharp teeth. However, the most debat-
ed part of its head, is the large semi-circular crest pro-
truding from the top of its scull. At first, it was suggest-
ed it might have been used by males fighting at mating
time, or, being an animal that spent a lot of time in wa-
ter, a snorkel. Some think, believing Corythosaurus
roamed in a herd, that it was used as a horn to warn of
danger; others believe it was used to make sounds to
attract a partner. With no concrete evidence to go on,
and the animal itself no longer here, it looks like the
head crest of Corythosaurus will continue to fascinate
and puzzle people for a long time.