Dino card No. 1343 of 2,027

Pachyrhinosaurus

Say it: PAK-ee-RYE-noh-SORE-us

Name means: “thick-nosed lizard”1

Ate: PlantsHorned dinosLate Cretaceous

Pachyrhinosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived in herds. Instead of a nose horn like Triceratops, it had a big, flat bony bump on its snout and another over its eyes. These bumps are called bosses.2

Lived

84 to 66 million years ago3

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Alberta and Northwest Territories in Canada, and Alaska in the USA1 3

Length

6 to 8 m (20 to 26 ft)1

for the largest species, P. canadensis

Weight

3 tonnes to 4 tonnes (6,600 to 8,800 lb)1 2

Height

2.4 m (7.9 ft)

estimate

Top speed

about 28 km/h (17 mph)

Running, estimate

What did Pachyrhinosaurus eat?

Pachyrhinosaurus was a herbivore, meaning it ate plants. It had strong cheek teeth to cut tough, fibrous plants.

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How tall was it?

estimate

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 2.5 cars

as long as 8 dogs nose to tailas long as 44 bananas end to endas heavy as 200 dogsas heavy as 800 watermelonsas heavy as 5 whole school classes of kidsas heavy as 9 polar bearscould run 100 metres in 13 seconds (the fastest human needs 9.6)

How big was Pachyrhinosaurus compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast was it?

A person walking about 5 km/h (3 mph)

A kid on a bike about 12 km/h (7 mph)

Pachyrhinosaurus about 28 km/h (17 mph)

A galloping horse about 65 km/h (40 mph)

A cheetah about 100 km/h (62 mph)

cool stuff

Fun facts

Pachyrhinosaurus had a large, flat boss on its nose and a smaller one over its eyes, instead of a nose horn.1

Three species of Pachyrhinosaurus have been found: P. canadensis, P. lakustai, and P. perotorum.1

Fossils of adults and juveniles are often found together, suggesting that Pachyrhinosaurus lived in herds and cared for its young.2

One bonebed in Alberta contained up to 100 bones per square metre, with over 3,500 bones and 14 skulls.1

The northernmost species, P. perotorum, lived in what is now Alaska about 73 million years ago.1

Pachyrhinosaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous, between about 74 and 68 million years ago.2

AI-made picture of Pachyrhinosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Pachyrhinosaurus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Pachyrhinosaurus

?How big was Pachyrhinosaurus?

The largest species, P. canadensis, was about 6 to 8 metres (20 to 26 feet) long and weighed 3 to 4 tonnes (3.3 to 4.4 tons). The other species were smaller, about 5 metres (16 feet) long and 2 tonnes (2.2 tons).1 2

?What did Pachyrhinosaurus eat?

Pachyrhinosaurus was a herbivore, meaning it ate plants. It had strong cheek teeth to cut tough, fibrous plants.1 2

?Did Pachyrhinosaurus have horns?

Instead of a nose horn like Triceratops, Pachyrhinosaurus had big, flat bony bumps called bosses on its snout and over its eyes. It did have a pair of horns that grew from its frill and pointed upward.1 2

?When did Pachyrhinosaurus live?

Pachyrhinosaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, between about 74 and 68 million years ago.2 1

?Where was Pachyrhinosaurus found?

Fossils have been found in Alberta, Canada, and Alaska, USA. The first fossils were discovered in Alberta in 1946.2 1

?Did Pachyrhinosaurus live in herds?

Yes. Fossils of adults and juveniles are often found together, which suggests they lived in herds and cared for their young.2 1

?How many species of Pachyrhinosaurus are there?

There are three known species: P. canadensis, P. lakustai, and P. perotorum. That makes it the most species-rich genus among the centrosaurine dinosaurs.1 2

?Was Pachyrhinosaurus bigger than Triceratops?

No, Triceratops was bigger. Pachyrhinosaurus was about 6 to 8 metres long, while Triceratops could reach about 9 metres. They were both ceratopsians.2 1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Pachyrhinosaurus
Named by: Sternberg 19503
Group: Horned dinos
Family / clade: Ceratopsidae3
Classification: Ornithischia > Ceratopsia > Ceratopsidae3
Age of the rocks: 84 to 66 million years (Campanian / Maastrichtian)3
Rock formations: Horseshoe Canyon, Wapiti, St. Mary River3
Countries: Canada, USA3
Fossil records: 16 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: The first Pachyrhinosaurus fossils were found in 1946 in Alberta, Canada, by Charles M. Sternberg. He named the dinosaur Pachyrhinosaurus in 1950.1 2
Still debated: Scientists are still debating whether the differences in the shape of the bosses (some convex, some concave) are due to male and female differences or just erosion.1

Where the facts come from

Pachyrhinosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Pachyrhinosaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Pachyrhinosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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