Open Paleo

Lambeosaurinae

Parks, 1923 Type genus Lambeosaurus

Its genera lived 89.8–66.0 million years ago Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Lambeosaurinae is a group of crested hadrosaurid dinosaurs that includes Lambeosaurus, Corythosaurus, Hypacrosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Tsintaosaurus, Olorotitan, and the European and North African genera Arenysaurus and Ajnabia. Its members are set apart by elaborate hollow cranial crests that enclose looping extensions of the nasal passages, inferred to have functioned in vocalization and visual display. The group originated in Laurasia during the Late Cretaceous and was initially found across Europe and Asia. Around the Campanian, one lineage colonized western North America via Beringia and spread south to Mexico, radiating into a diverse array of body plans, while other members reached the Late Cretaceous islands of Europe and later crossed into northern Africa. Its internal classification into tribes such as Aralosaurini, Tsintaosaurini, Parasaurolophini, Lambeosaurini, and the sometimes-recognized Arenysaurini remains unsettled.

Diagnosis

  1. Hollow, crest-bearing nasal passages enclosed within an enlarged supracranial crest
  2. Marked dorsal expansion and posterodorsal rotation of the premaxillae and nasals over the skull roof
  3. Truncated, downturned rostrum with a deep premaxillary bill
  4. Tall neural spines producing a deep tail and trunk

Genera placed directly in Lambeosaurinae

  • Adelolophus Gates et al., 2014 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)United States
  • Adynomosaurus Prieto-Márquez et al., 2019 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Spain
  • Ajnabia Longrich et al., 2021 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Morocco
  • Amurosaurus Bolotsky & Kurzanov, 1991 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Russia
  • Angulomastacator Wagner & Lehman, 2009 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)United States
  • Aralosaurus Rozhdestvensky, 1968 Santonian–Campanian (85.7–72.2 Ma)Kazakhstan
  • Arenysaurus Pereda-Suberbiola et al., 2009 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Spain
  • Blasisaurus Cruzado-Caballero et al., 2010 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Spain
  • Canardia Prieto-Márquez et al., 2013 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)France
  • Charonosaurus Godefroit et al., 2000 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)China
  • Corythosaurus Brown, 1914 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Canada
  • Hypacrosaurus Brown, 1913 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Canada
  • Jaxartosaurus Riabinin, 1937 Coniacian–Santonian (89.8–83.6 Ma)Kazakhstan
  • Kazaklambia Bell & Brink, 2013 Coniacian–Santonian (89.8–83.6 Ma)Kazakhstan
  • Lambeosaurus Parks, 1923 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Canada
  • Latirhinus Prieto-Márquez & Serrano-Brañas, 2012 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Mexicounder dispute
  • Magnapaulia Prieto-Márquez et al., 2012 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Mexico
  • Minqaria Longrich et al., 2024 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Morocco
  • Nipponosaurus Nagao, 1936 Santonian–Campanian (85.7–72.2 Ma)Russia
  • Olorotitan Godefroit et al., 2003 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Russia
  • Pararhabdodon Casanovas-Cladellas et al., 1993 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Spain
  • Parasaurolophus Parks, 1922 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Canada
  • Plesiolophus McFeeters et al., 2026 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Canada
  • Taleta Longrich et al., 2025 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Morocco
  • Tlatolophus Ramírez-Velasco et al., 2021 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Mexico
  • Tsintaosaurus Young, 1958 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)China
  • Velafrons Gates et al., 2007 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Mexico

References

  1. Parks, W. A. (1923). Corythosaurus intermedius, a new species of trachodont dinosaur. University of Toronto Studies, Geology Series 15: 1-57.

    Named Lambeosaurinae to replace Lambe's Stephanosaurinae, whose type genus he held invalid, in the paper describing Corythosaurus intermedius.

    parks1923a
  2. Madzia, D.; Arbour, V. M.; Boyd, C. A.; Farke, A. A.; Cruzado-Caballero, P.; Evans, D. C. (2021). The phylogenetic nomenclature of ornithischian dinosaurs. PeerJ 9: e12362. doi:10.7717/peerj.12362

    Provides the modern phylogenetic definition of Lambeosaurinae.

    madzia2021a