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Hadrosaur, a member of the family Hadrosauridae — a duck-billed dinosaur

Object Description

'Hadrosaur' belonged to the group ornithopod dinosaurs which mostly moved on two legs, although larger species probably walked and browsed on all fours. They had a horny beak for picking off plants and very effective teeth for chewing.  Its name (had-row-sore) means bulky lizard. 

The fossils of ‘Hadrosaur’ were discovered in Canada. ‘Hadrosaur’ lived 70–65 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous and was a herbivore measuring 12 metres.

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Educational Value Statement

'Hadrosaur' was a member of the family Hadrosauridae — a duck-billed dinosaur.

Hadrosaurs were the most advanced members of a group of dinosaurs called ornithopods. All ornithopods had a beak at the front of their jaws to strip plants with and teeth for chewing. Hadrosaurs took chewing to a new level, having evolved a battery of teeth — as many as six rows, each containing 45 to 60 teeth that acted like huge files for grinding coarse plant material. These teeth were constantly replenished by new teeth growing from below. Ornithopods also had cheeks that enabled them to chew without losing much food.

Hadrosaur locomotion was unusual, in that they moved on all four legs when foraging and walking slowly, but ran on their long hind legs with their bodies held horizontally when speed was required.

More is known about hadrosaurs than just about any other prehistoric animal. As well as complete fossilised skeletons of recently hatched, juvenile and adult animals, scientists have found mummified bodies, skin impressions, stomach contents, coprolites, footprints, eggs and nesting sites and possibly some internal organs.

The fossil on display at Melbourne Museum is still embedded in the sandstone in which it was found. Palaeontologists use the skull to identify hadrosaur species. Unfortunately, we cannot be sure of the identity of the specimen, as it is missing its head.  It is probably ‘Edmontosaurus’.

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