Edmontosaurus

Edmontosaurus
Classification
Name	Edmontosaurus annectens
Name Meaning	Connected Edmonton Lizard
Species	Dinosaur
Family	Hadrosauridae
Diet	Herbivore
Physiology
Description	Large dinosaurs with massive tails and duck bill-like beak, short fore legs, and long hind legs
Attributes	Large size; massive duck-bill; thousands of chewing teeth; massive tail; walks on four legs and runs on two legs
Height	4.1 m (13.45 ft)
Length	12.35 m (40.50 ft)
Weight	5.6 t (12,345.9 lb)
Biography
Era	Late Cretaceous
Time	76 to 65 MYA
Discovered	1892
Locations	North America

“	Ah, yes. The mighty duck-billed dinosaur; Edmontosaurus. Enormous in length, gargantuan in height, however, they are not the brightest animals.	„
	— Allen Johnson, about Edmontosaurus in Death of a Dynasty II: The Return of the King

Edmontosaurus (name meaning "Edmonton Lizard"), also known by other names such as Trachodon (name meaning "Rough Tooth"), Anatosaurus (name meaning "Duck Lizard"), Anatotitan (name meaning "Giant Duck"), and Ugrunaaluk (name meaing "Ancient Grazer"), is a genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now North America. Measuring 13 meters long and weighing around 5 tons, Edmontosaurus was among the largest species of hadrosaur dinosaurs.

In the Series 2 finale "Death of a Dynasty II: The Return of the King", a herd of Edmontosaurus consisting of eight individuals in different life stages, were brought to the park from Late Cretaceous Montana 65 million years ago. They reside in the Hadrosaur Springs Enclosure with other Hadrosaurs and recently welcomed hatchlings into the herd.

Facts

Era & Discovery

Edmontosaurus lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous period from 76 – 65 million years ago. A favorite prey item for Tyrannosaurus, it was among the largest herbivores of its time and was also among the last member of the hadrosaur family of dinosaurs. Edmontosaurus was also one of the last non-avian dinosaurs on Earth before the mass extinction event.

The first fossils of Edmontosaurus were discovered and named by Othniel Charles Marsh in southern Alberta, Cananda in the year 1892. It was named after Edmonton, the capital city, in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (formerly called the lower Edmonton Formation).

Physical Attributes

Edmontosaurus was a very large hadrosaurian dinosaur, arguably the largest member of the hadrosaur family. They measured over 37 – 43 feet (11 – 13 m) long, stood 9 – 13 feet (3 – 4 m) tall at the hips, and weighed 4 – 6 tons (8,000 – 13,000 lbs.), the size of a railroad boxcar. Like the Iguanodon dinosaurs before it, Edmontosaurus walked on all four legs and ran on their hind legs, reaching speeds of 50kph. Despite its relatively large size, Edmontosaurus was preyed upon by predators, including the North American apex predator, Tyrannosaurus rex, as it viewed Edmontosaurus as a favorite prey item.

It also had very large and wide hind legs and its front legs were short and chunky. Edmontosaurus was mainly yellow with brown stripes and a brown-colored bill. Its underbelly and feet were white. Like the other members of the group, Edmontosaurus had a large bill that resembled that of a modern duck - hence its original name. Within the bill was a large battery of teeth. These teeth were perfect for stripping vegetation and then chewing it rather than the more primitive method of swallowing it and lets its digestive system do all the work.

Behavior & Traits

Edmontosaurus skeleton

Like all herbivores, Edmontosaurus lived and roamed in small groups to large herds, consisting of up to thousands of members. However, most males, when they reached maturity, separated from the herd and went off on their own to form their own herds. Each year, Edmontosaurus would have massive migrations following the rains from north to south and back, traveling 600 miles in the process. When feeding, huge batteries of chewing teeth made short work of the vegetation they ate. When chewing, Edmontosaurus's jaws moved from side to side.

Edmontosaurus was relatively defenseless against any large carnivores, such as Tyrannosaurus. However, although it had very few weapons of choice, Edmontosaurus did possess the ability to run rather quickly for creatures as large as they were. Like its ancestors, the earlier Iguanodon dinosaurs, Edmontosaurus walked on all four legs but it could run on its hind legs at speeds of around 28 mph. However, its speed never always guaranteed its safety. Additionally, Edmontosaurus possessed a massive tail that measured a staggering 23 feet (7 m) long. Edmontosaurus was able to use its tail like the arm of a crane, swinging it against smaller attackers like Dromaeosaurus and Dakotaraptor.

Prehistoric Earth: A Natural History

Series 2

Edmontosaurus makes its debut in Death of a Dynasty II: The Return of the King where Allen saw a herd of them migrating across an ashfield looking for vegetation until the team rescues them and brings the herd to the park. Later the team, encountered a herd of Edmontosaurus across stagnant pool where they were feasting on vegetation and drink water until they were attacked by a female Tyrannosaurus (Sue) who kills one of the herd members to be feasted by her youngsters.

Gallery

An Edmontosaurus drinking from a lake.

An Edmontosaurus being killed by a Tyrannosaurus.

Trivia

• Edmontosaurus was the largest hadrosaur, as well as ornithopod, brought to the park.
• The sound effects of Edmontosaurus are that of camel, duck, elephant, geese, moose, hippo, and horse sound effects. It also produces sounds featured in "Jurassic Fight Club" and the "Walking with Dinosaurs" movie.