Maiasaura vs Parasaurolophus

A detailed side-by-side comparison of Maiasaura and Parasaurolophus, covering size, diet, classification, geologic period, and discovery history.

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Propriedade Maiasaura Parasaurolophus
Nome cientรญfico Maiasaura peeblesorum Parasaurolophus walkeri
Classificaรงรฃo Hadrosauridae Hadrosauridae
Perรญodo Cretaceous Late Cretaceous Late
Dieta Herbivore Herbivore
Comprimento 9.0 m 9.5 m
Height 2.3 m 2.8 m
Peso 4.0 t 2.5 t
Ano de descoberta 1979 1922
Local de descoberta Two Medicine Formation, Montana, USA Sand Creek, Alberta, Canada
Nomeado por Jack Horner & Robert Makela William Parks
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Size Comparison

Maiasaura 9.0 m

roughly the length of a large SUV

Parasaurolophus 9.5 m

roughly the length of a large SUV

Weight Comparison

Maiasaura 4.0 t

comparable to 4.0 small cars

Parasaurolophus 2.5 t

comparable to 2.5 small cars

{# โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ• Timeline comparison โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ• #}

Timeline Comparison

Maiasaura
100,5 Mya Cretaceous Late (Mesozoic) 66,0 Mya
Parasaurolophus
100,5 Mya Cretaceous Late (Mesozoic) 66,0 Mya

Maiasaura and Parasaurolophus both lived during the Cretaceous Late period and may have shared the same habitats.

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Diet Comparison

Maiasaura

Herbivore

Maiasaura was a plant-eater, feeding on vegetation like ferns, conifers, and cycads.

Parasaurolophus

Herbivore

Parasaurolophus was a plant-eater, feeding on vegetation like ferns, conifers, and cycads.

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Classification Comparison

Maiasaura

Clade: Ornithischia

Group: Hadrosauridae

(Duck-billed dinosaurs)

Parasaurolophus

Clade: Ornithischia

Group: Hadrosauridae

(Duck-billed dinosaurs)

Both dinosaurs share a common ancestor within the Hadrosauridae clade.

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Diferenรงas principais

  • Both were Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs of North America, but Maiasaura lacked the dramatic cranial crest of Parasaurolophus.
  • Maiasaura is famous for evidence of parental care โ€” nesting colonies show it fed and protected its young.
  • Parasaurolophus's crest was a resonating chamber for vocalization; Maiasaura communicated through other means.
  • Maiasaura (9 m, ~4,000 kg) was slightly larger than Parasaurolophus (9.5 m, ~2,500 kg).
  • Maiasaura's name means 'good mother lizard'; Parasaurolophus means 'near crested lizard'.
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Did You Know?

💡

Both Maiasaura and Parasaurolophus were herbivores.

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Both dinosaurs lived during the Cretaceous Late period and may have coexisted.

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Parasaurolophus was discovered 57 years earlier, in 1922.

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Both belong to the Hadrosauridae clade, making them relatively close relatives.

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Compare With Other Dinosaurs

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