This dinosaur was a small genus of Pachycephalosaurus that once existed in Canada during the Upper Cretaceous period. It also belongs to a distinct taxon of clade Dinosauria.
Key Facts
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
| Colepiocephale pronunciation | Col-e-pe-o-sef-a-ley |
| What does Colepiocephale mean? | Its name simple means “knuckle head” because of its incomplete cranial dome |
| Dinosaur type | Pachycephalosauria |
| On the menu | Herbivore |
| Length | About 1 meter long |
| Height | There’s no exact or estimated measurement for its height due to a lack of resources. |
| Weight | Its weight is still unknown due to the fact that only a part of its skull was recovered. |
| Life expectancy | The estimated lifespan of this dinosaur is unknown. |
| Legs used to get around | Bipedal |
| Estimated top speed | Due to less sources, the average speed of Colepiocephale is still not known. |
| When they lived | Colepiocephale existed from 83.5 million to 70.6 million years ago during the Upper Cretaceous period. |
| Where they have been found? | They used to live in Canada and North America where its fossils were discovered. It also lived in a terrestrial habitat with lots of plant sources to survive. |
When & Where
The incomplete skull was discovered by L.M Sternberg in 1945. The fossil is only a skull part that had a missing lateral and posteriosquamosal shelf, a steep parietal lobe, and two incipient nodes in the posterior margin of its parietosquamosal border
Size & Weight
Colepiocephale was believed to measure about 1 meter long while the height and weight remain unknown due to the lack of details and resources in its fossils.
Mobility & Diet
Since they are herbivorous dinosaurs, it is assumed that they consume soft plant materials such as grasses, leaves, fruits, and flowers. Their aggressiveness and behavior were still unknown.
Interesting Points
- During its first discovery, it was initially identified as a species of Stegoceras by L.M Sternberg in 1945. However, due to his continuous investigation and study of Sullivan, he was able to rename the dinosaur Colepiocephale.
- Throughout the years, only a part of the Colepiocephale has been recovered.
- It is known as the “knucklehead”.
- Colepiocephale was considered to be the oldest Pachycephalosaurian dinosaur.
- It is characterized by the missing lateral and posteriosquamosal shelf, a steep parietal lobe, and two incipient nodes in the posterior margin of its parietosquamosal border.