Maiasaura

dinosaur · parent dinosaur · Montana · herbivore

Massive plant-eater. Maiasaura was a huge dinosaur that could grow up to 30 feet long and weighed as much as an elephant. Despite their enormous size, these creatures were herbivores that munched on plants all day long.

Caring parent dinosaur. Maiasaura is famous because scientists found evidence that adult dinosaurs stayed with their babies in nests and brought them food, similar to how birds care for their young today. This was one of the first discoveries that dinosaurs might have been devoted parents.

Duck-billed dinosaur. Maiasaura belonged to a group called hadrosaurs, which had flat, duck-like bills perfect for snipping off leaves and plants. They used these specialized bills to gather and chew vegetation efficiently.

Montana's dinosaur. These dinosaurs roamed what is now Montana and Alberta, Canada, during the Late Cretaceous period, between 86 and 71 million years ago. Scientists have found many fossils of Maiasaura in this region.

Living in herds. Maiasaura likely lived together in family groups and herds, caring for their young together. This social behavior made them different from many other dinosaurs that may have been more solitary.