Hypsibema Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 4m |
| Length | 15m |
| Weight | 12 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | Eastern North America |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 4m |
| Length | 15m |
| Weight | 12 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | Eastern North America |
Hypsibema was one of the largest ornithopod dinosaurs ever discovered, living approximately 83.6 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. This massive herbivore roamed the coastal plains of what is now eastern North America, particularly in areas that would become North Carolina and New Jersey. As a basal hadrosauroid, Hypsibema represents an important evolutionary stage in the development of duck-billed dinosaurs.
Standing roughly 4 metres tall at the hip and stretching up to 15 metres in length, Hypsibema was truly enormous, weighing an estimated 12 tonnes. Its impressive size made it one of the giants of its ecosystem. Like other ornithopods, it could move on both two and four legs, likely walking on all fours when feeding on low vegetation and rearing up on its powerful hind legs when necessary.
As a herbivore, Hypsibema possessed the typical ornithopod features for plant processing, including batteries of small teeth perfect for grinding tough vegetation. Its diet likely consisted of ferns, conifers, and flowering plants that were becoming increasingly common during the Late Cretaceous. The dinosaur's large size would have allowed it to reach high into trees and process enormous quantities of plant matter daily.
Fossil remains of Hypsibema have been found primarily in the Tar Heel Formation of North Carolina, with additional specimens discovered in New Jersey's Marshalltown Formation. These coastal plain deposits suggest the dinosaur lived in warm, humid environments with abundant vegetation.
Hypsibema was distinguished by its enormous size, making it one of the largest ornithopod dinosaurs known. Its robust build and powerful limbs were adapted to support its massive weight, whilst maintaining the ability to rear up on its hind legs when needed.
Hypsibema likely lived in herds, as evidenced by multiple fossil discoveries in similar geological formations. Its great size would have provided protection from most predators, though juveniles may have stayed close to adults for safety.
Hypsibema was first described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1869. The original fossils were discovered at Tar Heel Formation, North Carolina, USA.