Prosaurolophus ("First Crest") is a genus of hadrosaurid ornithopod dinosaurs that lived in the late Cretaceous period, approximately 75 million years ago, in what is now North America. This genus includes two known species: Prosaurolophus maximus, described by Barnum Brown in 1916, and Prosaurolophus blackfeetensis, described by Jack Horner in 1992.
Prosaurolophus maximus was a large dinosaur that reached approximately 8.5 meters in length. It was characterized by a small solid ridge formed by the nasal bones, located in front of the eyes. Its skull, about 90 centimeters, showed a solid triangular crest with concave depressions on the sides, which remained proportionally the same during its growth. This has led to speculation that the ridge may have supported display structures such as inflatable nasal sacs.
This dinosaur had a wide, flat beak, ideal for uprooting vegetation, and a battery of teeth at the back of its mouth for crumbling food. Its front limbs were shorter than its hind limbs, a common feature in hadrosaurids. Fossils of Prosaurolophus maximus have been found in the Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta, Canada, and the Two Medicine Formation in Montana, USA.
Prosaurolophus maximus lived in an environment dominated by river plains and forests, and probably formed large groups for protection and efficiency in foraging. The differences between the two species of the genus are based primarily on the size and shape of the crest, with P. blackfeetensis featuring a more angular face and a crest that migrated backwards during its development.
The discovery of P. maximus was made by Barnum Brown in 1915, who described it by comparing it to Saurolophus, another hadrosaurid with a similar but longer crest. P. blackfeetensis was later discovered by Jack Horner in a bed of bones in Montana, suggesting that these dinosaurs lived in groups.
Over the years, the classification of Prosaurolophus has been revised multiple times, and although some studies have linked it closely to Saurolophus, more recent analyzes place it closer to other genera such as Brachylophosaurus, Edmontosaurus and Gryposaurus.
Approximate measurements of Prosaurolophus:
- 1:35 scale Two-piece assembly kit
- Length 236mm
- Height 88mm
- Snout-tail length 243 mm
