New King of Dinosaurs

Published: 25th Sep 2014

Dinosaurs have had been given some some pretty fantastic names over the years, but a newly discovered dinosaur must trump the lot. Rhinorex condrupus was part of the large group of vegitarian hadrosaurs that included Parasaurolophus and Corythosaurus. Rhinorex did not have any head crest that normally characterise hadrosaurs but did have a very large nose. The name Rhinorex means ‘King Nose’ and means that T rex is not the only dinosaur with a ‘royal’ name.

Almost the compltete skull and much of the remaining skeleton of Rhinorex have been excavated in Utah along with osme skin impressions. The leg bones are missing though.  Rhinorex lived in the Cretaceous and was 9.2 metres long and weighed 3.8 tonnes. The purpose of the large nose may have been to give a super sense of smell, or may have been for attracting mates, or species recognition.