The Edmontosaurus was a large herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. This dinosaur belonged to the Hadrosauridae family, which consists of other duck-billed dinosaurs.
Key facts
| Domain | Description |
|---|---|
| Edmontosaurus pronunciation | The name Edmontosaurus can be pronounced as “ed-MON-toe-sore-us”. |
| What does Edmontosaurus mean? | This dinosaur is derived from the location where its fossils were found. The Edmontosaurus translates to “lizard from Edmonton”. |
| Dinosaur type | Euornithopod |
| On the menu | Herbivore |
| Length | 12-13 meters (40-43 ft) |
| Height | 4.4 tons (8,818 lbs) |
| Weight | 3m at the hips |
| Life expectancy | According to studies, the life expectancy of an Edmontosaurus ranges from 70-90 years. |
| Legs used to get around | The Edmontosaurus was bipedal and could use all of its four legs to walk as well. |
| Estimated top speed | The estimated top speed of an Edmontosaurus is about 28 mph or 45 kph. |
| When they lived | The Edmontosaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous period which was 76-65 million years ago. |
| Where they have been found? | Edmonton Formation, Alberta, Canada |
When & Where
The first fossil of the Edmontosaurus was discovered in Drumheller in Alberta in 1912 and in 1917, the name Edmontosaurus was coined. It was found that the fossils were discovered in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation, which was formerly the lower Edmonton formation), in the Red Deer River of Southern Alberta, Canada.
Size & Weight
The Edmontosaurus was considered to be one of the largest North American herbivores, even surpassing the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The length of the Edmontosaurus can reach about 12-13 meters (40-43 ft), its height up to 3m At the hips, and its weight can be as heavy as 4.4 tons (8,818 lbs).
Mobility & Diet
Being a hadrosaurid, the Edmontosaurus was a duck-billed dinosaur. This means that this species used their beak to crop on plants and trees during the Late Cretaceous period. They could not chew side-to-side instead, their upper teeth would have to grind on their lower teeth in order to powderize the plants they ate.
Interesting Points
- There were other 71 different specimens that were discovered by paleontologists
- This dinosaur was believed to have existed from the Coniacian Age to 66 million years ago
- Just like most dinosaurs, they reproduced by laying eggs
- Had a herbivorous diet
- Their main habitat was inside a canyon
- Studies have discovered that the Edmontosaurus babies were the same size as newborn babies but only twice longer.