Kritosaurus Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 9m |
| Weight | 3 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | North America |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 9m |
| Weight | 3 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | North America |
Kritosaurus was a large ornithopod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 74.5 to 66 million years ago. This duck-billed dinosaur roamed the coastal plains and river deltas of what is now the southwestern United States, particularly New Mexico. Despite being one of the earlier hadrosaur discoveries, Kritosaurus remains poorly understood due to the fragmentary nature of its fossils.
Like other ornithopods of its time, Kritosaurus was a substantial herbivore, estimated to reach about 9 metres in length and standing roughly 3 metres tall at the hip. Its most distinctive feature was a prominent nasal crest that gave it what palaeontologists often describe as a 'Roman nose' appearance. This bony ridge along the snout may have been used for display purposes or to produce sounds for communication with other members of its species.
As a herbivore, Kritosaurus would have fed on the abundant plant life of the Late Cretaceous, including ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. Its duck-like bill was perfectly adapted for cropping vegetation, whilst rows of grinding teeth in its cheeks processed tough plant material. The dinosaur could move both on two legs when speed was needed and on all fours when feeding closer to the ground.
However, the validity of Kritosaurus as a distinct genus remains contentious amongst palaeontologists. Many specimens originally attributed to this dinosaur have since been reassigned to other hadrosaur genera, leaving Kritosaurus based on rather incomplete remains that make definitive classification challenging.
Kritosaurus is characterised by its prominent nasal crest that created a distinctive 'Roman nose' profile along its snout. This bony ridge was more pronounced than in many other hadrosaurs, giving the skull a unique arched appearance when viewed from the side.
Kritosaurus likely lived in herds, as evidenced by multiple fossil discoveries in similar geological formations. The prominent nasal crest probably served as a visual display structure and may have been used to produce distinctive calls for communication within the herd, particularly during mating seasons or when warning of predators.
Kritosaurus was first described by Barnum Brown in 1910. The original fossils were discovered at Kirtland Formation, New Mexico, USA.