Gryposaurus ‭(‬hook nosed lizard‭)

Gryposaurus is a genus of herbivorous dinosaur that lived in what is now North America during the Late Cretaceous period, around 75 to 68 million years ago. Its name means “hook-nosed lizard” in reference to the distinctive shape of its skull. Gryposaurus is known from fossils found in Canada and the United States, including Alberta, Montana, and Utah.

Gryposaurus was a large dinosaur, reaching lengths of up to 10 meters (33 feet) and weights of up to 4,500 kilograms (9,900 pounds). It was a member of the Hadrosauridae, or duck-billed dinosaurs, a group of herbivores that were characterized by their distinctive flattened, duck-like snouts.

The most distinctive feature of Gryposaurus was its skull, which was tall and narrow with a prominent hooked beak at the end. The beak was used to crop vegetation, and its powerful jaws were lined with hundreds of small, interlocking teeth. The skull also featured a distinctive bony crest on top, which may have been used for display or as a resonating chamber for vocalizations.

Gryposaurus is known from several species, including G. notabilis, G. latidens, and G. monumentensis. These species are distinguished by differences in the shape and size of their skull crests and the arrangement of their teeth.

Gryposaurus likely lived in large herds and traveled long distances in search of food. It is believed to have fed on a variety of vegetation, including leaves, twigs, and shoots, and may have used its powerful jaws to break down tough plant material.

Like many other dinosaurs, Gryposaurus faced a number of challenges during its lifetime, including predation by large carnivorous dinosaurs and competition for food and resources. Despite these challenges, Gryposaurus was a successful and long-lived genus of dinosaur, and its fossils have provided important insights into the evolution and behavior of hadrosaurid dinosaurs.