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PARASAUROLOPHUS WALKERI

A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF CRESTED TRACHODONT DINOSAUR

Discovery

The specimen herein described was found in 1920 by an expedition from the University of Toronto in the bad lands of the Belly River formation on the Red Deer river, Alberta. The actual discovery was made by Mr. L. W. Dippell on the middle branch of the coulée below Sand creek at an elevation of 125 feet (aneroid) above the river. The excavation of the skeleton and its subsequent mounting in the Royal Ontario Museum of Palaeontology was done under the supervision of Mr. Levi Sternberg.

The skeleton was lying on its left side with some of the bones of the right or upper side in an indifferent state of preservation; in consequence, the mount has been prepared to show the left or under side. The whole of the anterior part including both fore limbs is well preserved, but the tail and hind limbs with the exception of one femur are wanting. The posterior ends of the ischia were also absent, but have been restored in the mount. No other restoration has been attempted.

General Description

The animal is evidently a representative of the Trachodontidae and of the sub-family Saurolophinae or crested type with footed ischia. It is characterized by a low-set and heavy body and by a very remarkable type of crest which seems to justify the creation of a new genus for its reception. Its affinities are undoubtedly with Saurolophus from the Edmonton; hence, the proposed generic name, Parasauralophus. The specific name is given for Sir Edmund Walker, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Ontario Museum.

The skeleton as mounted is shown by a carefully prepared drawing (Plate I) and by a photograph (Plate II). The anterior part is shown on a larger scale in Plate III. In all