| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 3m |
| Length | 9.5m |
| Weight | 2.3 tonnes |
| Speed | 25 km/h |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | North America And Asia |
Saurolophus was a magnificent ornithopod dinosaur that roamed the forests and plains of North America and Asia during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago. This impressive herbivore is particularly notable for being one of the few dinosaur genera discovered on multiple continents, with fossils found in both Canadian and Mongolian rock formations.
Standing 3 metres tall at the hip and measuring 9.5 metres in length, Saurolophus was a substantial creature weighing around 2.3 tonnes. Its most distinctive feature was the prominent spike-like crest that projected upwards and backwards from its skull, giving it an unmistakable profile amongst ornithopod dinosaurs. This crest likely served multiple purposes, including species recognition and possibly sound amplification for communication.
As a herbivorous ornithopod, Saurolophus possessed hundreds of small, closely-packed teeth arranged in dental batteries that were perfectly adapted for grinding tough plant material. It could move both on two legs and four, switching between bipedal locomotion when moving quickly and quadrupedal stance when feeding on low-growing vegetation. The dinosaur's duck-like bill was ideal for cropping ferns, conifers, and flowering plants that dominated Late Cretaceous landscapes.
Two valid species are recognised: S. osborni from North America and S. angustirostris from Mongolia, with the Asian species generally being larger and more robust than its North American cousin. The discovery of Saurolophus on two continents provides valuable insights into dinosaur distribution and evolution during the final chapter of the Mesozoic Era.
Saurolophus is immediately recognisable by its prominent spike-like crest that projects upwards and backwards from the top of its skull. It had a duck-like bill typical of ornithopod dinosaurs and a robust body that could support both bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion.
Saurolophus likely lived in herds, using its distinctive crest for visual recognition and possibly sound communication with other members of its species. It would have spent much of its time feeding on vegetation, switching between walking on all fours whilst foraging and moving bipedally when travelling longer distances.
Saurolophus has appeared in several dinosaur documentaries and educational programmes, though it remains less famous than other ornithopods like Iguanodon or Parasaurolophus.
Saurolophus was first described by Barnum Brown in 1912. The original fossils were discovered at Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Alberta, Canada.
