A thick skull roof
Its most famous feature is a greatly thickened dome of bone on top of the skull.
A REAL DINOSAUR. A SUSPICIOUSLY FAMILIAR PERSONALITY.
PACHYCEPHALOSAURUS.
Will revisit this argument.
You do not give up easily. This is a wonderful quality in a teammate and an exhausting quality in a discussion about where to park.
SIGNATURE MOVEReturning to a conversation with additional evidence.
SPECIMEN 11 / LATE CRETACEOUS
PACHYCEPHALOSAURUS WYOMINGENSIS · OMNIVORE / UNCERTAIN
PACHYCEPHALOSAURUS WYOMINGENSIS · OMNIVORE / UNCERTAINFred Wierum · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the actual dinosaur THE ACTUAL SCIENCE STARTS HERE
Meet the real Pachycephalosaurus.
The jokes are ours.
The animal was very real.
- WHEN
- 68–66 million years ago
- ON THE MENU
- Omnivore / uncertain
- LENGTH
- About 4.5 m
- BODY MASS
- Roughly 400–500 kg
Knobs and spikes
Bony ornaments surrounded the dome and projected from the rear of the skull.
Mostly head evidence
The genus is much better represented by skull material than by complete body skeletons.
A two-legged animal
Related pachycephalosaurs show a bipedal body plan with shorter forelimbs and a long tail.
Changing with age
Some differently named dome-headed forms have been proposed as growth stages, though details remain debated.
Teeth raise questions
Dental evidence complicates a strictly leaf-eating picture and has prompted discussion of dietary flexibility.
A little room for discovery.
Head-butting, flank-butting, and display have all been proposed. The exact behavior and diet are unresolved.
Read more: Pachycephalosaurus on Wikipedia · Research and references. Facts are summarized in our own words. Size and date ranges are approximate; estimates vary by specimen and study. Gallery images may include other species within the genus.
A closer look.
Fossils, museum displays, and published reconstructions. Artwork shows an interpretation; it is not a photograph of a living dinosaur.
Is this your prehistoric alter ego?
Eight questions and an optional face scan will settle this. Very unofficially.