Corythosaurus casuarius

Cassowary Corinthian-Lizard

Corythosaurus casuarius
(Brown, 1914)

Corythosaurus casuarius is a large herbivore of the lowlands of North America. The massive creatures, simply in obtaining the food necessary to continue life, can completely denude the landscape of all vegetation in a very short time. This tendency to destroy their habitat necessitates regular migration; C. casuarius never stays put for long.

The flamboyant head ornamentation of C. casuarius, the disk-shaped crest from which this dinosaur derives its name, is formed by curved and elongated nasal sinuses. These sinuses function not only as visual displays, but as excellent resonance chamber for vocalizations, as in the related Parasaurolophus walkeri.

Other sites containing pertinent information:

T. Mike Keesey's Corythosauruspage
The Royal Tyrrell Museum's Corythosauruspage
Julius Csotonyi's Corythosaurus
Dinosaur Enclyclopedia by Dom Lessem and Donald F. Glut, published in 1993 by the Dinosaur Society.

� Daniel Bensen 2001
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