In Depth
Charonosaurus is immediately recognisable to its similarity to the better known Parasaurolophus. However Charonosaurus was seems to have been considerably larger than its North American cousin, as well as living later after Parasaurolophus had disappeared in North America. Like with Parasaurolophus, the crest of Charonosaurus is thought to have served both a display and possibly auditory display purpose. Other hadrosaurids from roughly the same location as Charonosaurus include Sahaliyania and Wulagasaurus. Additionally, potential predators of Charonosaurus include the huge Tarbosaurus.
The Charonosaurus holotype skull was recovered from the southern bank of the Amur River which divides Russia (north bank) and China. Because of its close proximity to a river, the describers cleverly came up with the name Charonosaurus which means ‘Charon’s lizard’. In Greek Mythhology Charon was the ferryman who transported the souls of deceased from the land of the living across the River Styx into the land of the dead (The Ancient Greek practice of placing coins upon the eyes of the deceased was so that they could pay the ferryman). Another extinct reptile that shares a similar connection is the elasmosaurid plesiosaur Styxosaurus which was named after the river itself.
Further Reading
- Charonosaurus jiayinensis n. g., n. sp., a lambeosaurine dinosaur from the Late Maastrichtian of northeastern China, Pascal Godefroit, Zan Shuqin & Jin Liyong - 2000.
