Kritosaurus

dinosaur · cretaceous · duck-billed · herbivore

Duck-billed dinosaur. Kritosaurus was a hadrosaurid, meaning it had a flat, duck-like bill perfect for munching on plants. It used its special teeth to grind tough vegetation into small pieces.

Fancy nose ridge. This dinosaur had an unusual bumpy ridge on its nose that stuck out like a Roman helmet. Scientists think it may have used this ridge to make loud honking sounds to talk to other Kritosaurus.

North American resident. Kritosaurus lived in herds across North America during the Late Cretaceous period, about 74.5 to 66 million years ago. It walked on strong back legs and could reach up to 30 feet long.

Plant-eating giant. Like other hadrosaurs, Kritosaurus was a vegetarian that ate ferns, cycads, and other plants growing on the ground and lower branches. Its powerful jaw muscles could crush the toughest plant material.

Mystery dinosaur. We don't know everything about Kritosaurus because scientists have only found incomplete fossils of this dinosaur. This makes it harder to understand exactly how it looked and lived.