- Species Type: Pachycephalosaurus Wyomingensis
- Type of Dinosaur: Pachycephalosauria
- Period: Late Cretaceous
- Diet: Foliage (herbivorous)
- Lifespan: Unknown
- Length: 15 feet (average)
- Weight: 990 pounds (average)
15 Pachycephalosaurus Facts for Kids
- The Pachycephalosaurus was discovered between 1859 and 1860 by Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden in Montana, near the head of the Missouri River.
- The Pachycephalosaurus was given its scientific name Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis in 1931, by Charles W. Gilmore.
- Charles W. Gilmore coined the name Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis from a partial skull (Specimen: USNM 12031).
- The name Pachycephalosaurus means: “Thick-Headed Lizard”.
- The name Pachycephalosaurus is pronounced: “pak-ee-SEF-uh-lo-SAWR-us”.
- The Pachycephalosaurus was part of a group of dinosaurs known as pachycephalosaurids.
- They lived in the Late Cretaceous Period (Maastrichtian Stage) between 66 and 72.1 million years ago.
- The Pachycephalosaurus lived on the North American continent.
- It’s estimated that the average length of a Pachycephalosaurus was 15 feet.
- It’s estimated that the average weight of a Pachycephalosaurus was over 900 pounds.
- Paleontologists aren’t sure what a Pachycephalosaurus diet would have been. While they think they were herbivores, fossilized jaw remains do indicate teeth similar to carnivorous theropods.
- The Pachycephalosaurus had two arms with five-clawed fingers and two legs with three-clawed toes.
- The dome shaped head of a Pachycephalosaurus is believed to have been used by males for mating or to chase off rival mates.
- Pachycephalosaurus had a skull that about 30 times thicker and stronger than a modern-day human skull.
- Paleontologists at first thought the skull of the Pachycephalosaurus was a dinosaurs kneecap.
Pachycephalosaurus Pictures
A picture of a Pachycephalosaurus Wyomingensis Specimen.Credit: Dinosaur Sanctuary
A sketch of a Pachycephalosaurus Wyomingensis dinosaur.Credit: Natural History Museum, London
A close-up photo of a Pachycephalosaurus Wyomingensis skullCredit: Travis / Flickr
Additional Resources on Pachycephalosaurus
- Pachycephalosaurus – Wikipedia – Find more facts about the Pachycephalosaurus on the Wikipedia Website.
- Cranial Pathologies in a Specimen of Pachycephalosaurus – A Pachycephalosaurus cranial study by the US National Library of Medicine / National Institutes of Health.
- Pachycephalosaurus – Wikipedia – Discover some awesome facts about the Parasaurolophus on the Perhistoric Wildlife website.