In Depth
Anasazisaurus is currently only known from a single skull, but one that has a flange of bone rising from the top of its snout. Because this crest is solid, Anasazisaurus has been identified as a saurolophine hadrosaurid. The skull of Anasazisaurus was once attributed to the genus Kritosaurus, but because the skull contains several unique features it was used to create its own genus. While most consider this to be correct however, some have questioned the move suggesting that the skull should be re-classified as belonging to Kritosaurus.
Anasazisaurus lived alongside other hadrosaurs such as Parasaurolophus as well as ceratopsians like Pentaceratops and Titanoceratops. Predatory threats likely came from tyrannosaurs like Bistahieversor.
Further Reading
- Cranial morphology of Prosaurolophus (Ornithischia: Hadrosauridae) with descriptions of two new hadrosaurid species and an evaluation of hadrosaurid phylogenetic relationships. - Museum of the Rockies Occasional Paper 2: 1–119. - John R. Horner - 1992. - Cretaceous vertebrates of New Mexico. - In Lucas, S.G.; and Zidek, J. (eds.). Dinosaurs of New Mexico. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin, 2. Albuquerque, New Mexico: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. pp. 77–91. - Adrian P. Hunt & Spencer G. Lucas - 1993. Anasazisaurus, a hadrosaurian dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of New Mexico. - In Lucas, S.G.; and Sullivan, Robert M. (eds.). Late Cretaceous Vertebrates from the Western Interior. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin, 35. Albuquerque, New Mexico: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. pp. 293–297. - Spencer G. Lucas, Justin A. Spielman, Robert M. Sullivan, Adrian O. Hunt & Terry Gates - 2006.
