Pachyrhinosaurus

Pachyrhinosaurus (Pack-ee-rhino-saur-us)

Name means “Thick-nosed lizard”

Part of the ceratopsian family of dinosaurs and close cousin of the famous Triceratops. This dinosaur lived across the northern plains of Canada and Alaska during the Late Cretaceous Period, approximately 74-69 million years ago. It was a herbivorous quadrupedal animal (meaning it walked on all fours), growing to a length of 20 feet and weighing in over 2 tons.

What made this dinosaur so unique is unlike its famous cousin the Triceratops, Pachyrhinosaurus did not have any horns above its nose or brows. Instead, there was a large bony mass that covered much of the snout and brow. Paleontologists used to believe that the mass may have been a large horn that broke off at some point, but that has proven to be incorrect.

One of the most fascinating finds of this dinosaur came in the late 1980s where a massive bone bed of Pachyrhinosaurus skeletons were discovered along Pipestone Creek in Alberta, Canada. A total of 3500 bones and 14 skulls were uncovered, some of which ranged from adults and juvenilles. This discovery definitely suggested that these dinosaurs may migrated together in herds. The cause of death for this herd was probably a failed attempt to cross a river during a flood.

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