Bactrosaurus is a type of dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 96 to 85 million years ago.
It is known from partial remains mostly found in the Gobi Desert of China. The name Bactrosaurus means “club lizard,” referring to some unique features on its spine.
The first Bactrosaurus fossils were discovered in the Iren Dabasu Formation and were described in 1933 by Charles W. Gilmore. He identified several individuals, ranging from young hatchlings to full-sized adults.
What’s interesting about Bactrosaurus is that, while scientists have not found a complete skeleton yet, it still provides a lot of information about early hadrosauroid dinosaurs.
Typically, a Bactrosaurus would have been about 20 to 21 feet long and weighed around 1.2 tons. It had a strong build and featured unique teeth that indicate it was a herbivore, meaning it ate plants.
Bactrosaurus was originally thought to have a particular type of head crest similar to other hadrosaurids. However, more recent studies suggest that it actually did not have a crest at all. This makes it an important dinosaur for understanding the early evolution of hadrosaurids.
In 2003, researchers found evidence of tumors in some Bactrosaurus fossils. This discovery helps scientists learn more about the health and diseases of dinosaurs and suggests environmental or genetic factors may have played a role in their health issues.
Overall, Bactrosaurus is a significant species for studying the history of dinosaurs, particularly the early relatives of the more famous duck-billed dinosaurs.