Dino card No. 1472 of 2,027

Probrachylophosaurus

Say it: PRO-brak-ee-lo-SORE-us

Name means: “before Brachylophosaurus”1

Ate: PlantsDuck-billsLate Cretaceous

Probrachylophosaurus was a duck-billed dinosaur that lived about 80 million years ago. It had a short, paddle-shaped crest on its head that it may have used to show off to other dinosaurs. This dinosaur was a big plant-eater that walked on four legs and could grow as long as a school bus!1

Lived

84 to 72 million years ago5

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Montana, USA and Alberta, Canada1 3

Food

Plants1 2

Length

10 m1

Weight

4.3 tonnes1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 3 cars

as long as 2 cars parked in a rowas long as 56 bananas end to endas heavy as 140 big dogsas heavy as 860 watermelons

How big was Probrachylophosaurus compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Probrachylophosaurus had a short, triangular crest on its head that was taller in the middle and looked like a paddle from the side.1

Its name means 'before Brachylophosaurus' because scientists think it was an ancestor of the later dinosaur Brachylophosaurus.1

The first fossil of Probrachylophosaurus was found in Montana in 1981, but it was not fully dug up until 2008.1

This dinosaur weighed about 4.3 metric tons (4.7 short tons), as heavy as a large SUV.1

The most complete skeleton had broken tail bones, which may have been caused by fights with other dinosaurs.1

Probrachylophosaurus lived about 80 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.1

AI-made picture of Probrachylophosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Probrachylophosaurus 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 Probrachylophosaurus

?How big was Probrachylophosaurus?

About 10 metres (33 ft) long, as long as a school bus. It weighed about 4.3 metric tons (4.7 short tons), as heavy as a large SUV.1 4

?What did Probrachylophosaurus eat?

It was a plant-eater. It used its large beak to munch on leaves.1 4

?Why did Probrachylophosaurus have a crest?

Scientists think the crest was used for display, like showing off to other dinosaurs. It was short, paddle-shaped, and triangular when seen from behind.1 3

?Was Probrachylophosaurus related to Brachylophosaurus?

Yes, its name means 'before Brachylophosaurus' because scientists think it was an ancestor of the later dinosaur Brachylophosaurus. Its crest is intermediate between a crestless ancestor and Brachylophosaurus.1 3

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Probrachylophosaurus
Named by: Freedman Fowler and Horner 20155
Group: Duck-bills
Family / clade: Hadrosauridae5
Classification: Ornithischia > Ornithopoda > Iguanodontia > Hadrosauridae5
Age of the rocks: 84 to 72 million years (Campanian)5
Rock formations: Judith River5
Countries: USA5
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database5
Discovery: Probrachylophosaurus was named in 2015 by Elizabeth Freedman Fowler and Jack Horner. The species name bergei honors Sam Berge, who owned the land where the fossils were found.1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure if Probrachylophosaurus was a direct ancestor of Brachylophosaurus or if they were separate branches on the family tree.1

Where the facts come from

Probrachylophosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
A New Brachylophosaurin Hadrosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) with an Intermediate Nasal Crest from the Campanian Judith River Formation of Northcentral Montana | PLOS One (journals.plos.org)
'Superduck' dinosaur provides insight into elaborate head crests (reuters.com)
Probrachylophosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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