Maiasaura Facts
Pronunciation: MY-ah-SORE-ah
Name meaning: Good Mother Lizard
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 9m |
| Weight | 4 tonnes |
| Speed | 25 km/h |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | North America |
Maiasaura was a large ornithopod dinosaur that lived in what is now Montana and Alberta between 86.3 and 70.6 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. This remarkable duck-billed dinosaur earned its name 'Good Mother Lizard' after scientists discovered extraordinary evidence of parental care at nesting sites in Montana.
Measuring approximately 9 metres in length and standing 3 metres tall at the hip, Maiasaura was a substantial herbivore that could move on both two and four legs. Like other ornithopods, it possessed a distinctive duck-like bill perfect for cropping vegetation, along with hundreds of small grinding teeth arranged in dental batteries for processing tough plant material. Its body was built for efficient plant processing, with a long tail for balance and powerful hind legs.
Maiasaura lived in herds and demonstrated sophisticated nesting behaviour, building large communal nesting grounds where multiple families would raise their young together. The discovery of fossilised nests, eggs, and juveniles of various ages provided unprecedented insights into dinosaur family life. Adults would bring food back to the nest for their hatchlings, which were born relatively helpless and required extended parental care.
These ornithopods inhabited coastal plains and forested environments, feeding on ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. Their social behaviour and dedicated parental care revolutionised our understanding of dinosaur intelligence and family structures, proving that some dinosaurs were far more sophisticated in their behaviour than previously imagined.
What made Maiasaura distinctive?
Maiasaura had a relatively flat skull with a small, solid crest above the eyes and a broad duck-like bill. Its body was robust and elongated, with powerful hind limbs that were longer than the front limbs, allowing it to walk on either two or four legs depending on the situation.
Behaviour
Maiasaura lived in large herds and exhibited remarkable parental care, with adults bringing food to helpless hatchlings in communal nesting colonies. They built bowl-shaped nests about 2 metres across and spaced them precisely one adult body length apart, suggesting sophisticated social organisation and territorial behaviour within the colony.
Maiasaura in Popular Culture
Maiasaura has appeared in several dinosaur documentaries and children's books focusing on dinosaur families and parenting behaviour, though it is less commonly featured in major films compared to other dinosaurs.
Discovery
Maiasaura was first described by Jack Horner and Robert Makela in 1979. The original fossils were discovered at Egg Mountain, Montana, USA.
Maiasaura FAQ
What did Maiasaura eat?
Maiasaura was a herbivore that fed on a variety of plants including ferns, conifers, and early flowering plants. It used its broad, duck-like bill to crop vegetation and hundreds of small grinding teeth to process tough plant material. Adults also brought pre-chewed food back to their nests to feed their young.
How big was Maiasaura?
Maiasaura was quite large, measuring approximately 9 metres in length and standing about 3 metres tall at the hip. Adults weighed around 4 tonnes, making them substantial herbivores comparable in size to a large elephant.
When did Maiasaura live?
Maiasaura lived during the
Late Cretaceous period, between 86.3 and 70.6 million years ago. This was near the end of the age of dinosaurs, several million years before the mass extinction event.
Where was Maiasaura found?
Maiasaura fossils have been discovered in North America, specifically in Montana, USA, and Alberta, Canada. The most famous discovery site is Egg Mountain in Montana, where extensive nesting grounds were uncovered.
How do you pronounce Maiasaura?
Maiasaura is pronounced 'MY-ah-SORE-ah'. The name comes from Greek and Latin words meaning 'good mother lizard', referring to the remarkable parental care these dinosaurs showed.
What does Maiasaura mean?
Maiasaura means 'Good Mother Lizard' in Greek and Latin. The name was chosen because this was the first dinosaur discovered with clear evidence of parental care, including adults bringing food to their babies in organised nesting colonies.
How fast could Maiasaura run?
Maiasaura could likely reach speeds of up to 25 km/h when running on its hind legs. While not the fastest dinosaur, this speed would have been sufficient to escape many predators, especially when moving as a herd.
What type of dinosaur was Maiasaura?
Maiasaura was an ornithopod dinosaur, specifically a member of the Hadrosauridae family, also known as duck-billed dinosaurs. These were large herbivorous dinosaurs known for their sophisticated teeth and social behaviour.
Was Maiasaura related to birds?
As an ornithopod dinosaur, Maiasaura was not closely related to birds. Birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs, while Maiasaura belonged to a different group called ornithischians. However, all dinosaurs share common ancestors and are part of the larger dinosaur family tree.
How many Maiasaura fossils have been found?
Hundreds of Maiasaura fossils have been discovered, including adults, juveniles, babies, eggs, and nests. The Egg Mountain site alone contained remains from multiple nesting seasons, making Maiasaura one of the best-understood dinosaurs in terms of life history and behaviour.
