Corythosaurus

Lore & Background

The find was notable because impressions of much of the creature's skin had also survived. The skeleton was articulated and missing only about the last 0.61 metres of the tail and front legs. Both specimens are now housed in the American Museum of Natural History in their original death poses. The specific name, casuarius, refers to the cassowary, a bird with a similar skull crest.

Reader's Guide

Corythosaurus is significant for its abundant and well-preserved fossils, which provide rare insights into hadrosaurid anatomy, diet, and behavior. The holotype includes skin impressions and the remains of its last meal—conifer needles, seeds, twigs, and fruits—indicating its diet. The tall, hollow crest, resembling a Corinthian helmet or cassowary crest, is thought to have functioned in vocalization, amplifying sound like a trombone. Over twenty skulls have been found, and the crest's internal chambers suggest it was used for communication. The two recognized species, C. casuarius and possibly C. intermedius, lived in slightly different levels of the Dinosaur Park Formation, coexisting with theropods and other ornithischians such as Daspletosaurus, Brachylophosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Scolosaurus, and Chasmosaurus.

Did You Know?

• The holotype skeleton of Corythosaurus is only missing the last section of the tail and part of the front legs, but preserved impressions of polygonal scales.
• One Corythosaurus specimen preserved its last meal in its chest cavity, containing conifer needles, seeds, twigs, and fruits.
• The crest of Corythosaurus is thought to have functioned like a trombone, amplifying sound waves when the animal exhaled.