Open Paleo

Kerberosaurus

Bolotsky & Godefroit, 2004 KUHR-buh-ro-SOR-us

Named for Kerberos (Cerberus), the three-headed dog of Greek mythology that guards the underworld, combined with Greek 'sauros' meaning 'lizard', hence 'Kerberos lizard'.

72.2–66.0 million years ago Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Kerberosaurus is a genus of saurolophine duckbill dinosaur from the late Maastrichtian-aged (Upper Cretaceous) Tsagayan Formation of Blagoveshchensk, Amur Region, Russia (dated to 66 million years ago). It is based on bonebed material including skull remains indicating that it was related to Saurolophus and Prosaurolophus.

Diagnosis

  1. Basipterygoid process of prootic deeply excavated by pocket-like depression
  2. Groove for ramus ophthalmicus of trigeminal nerve proportionally wider on laterosphenoid
  3. Postotic foramina not bordered rostrally by prominent ridge
  4. Frontal particularly narrow medio-laterally
  5. Rostral margin of parietal depressed
  6. Circumnarial depression bordered dorsocaudally by strong, wide, flattened ridge on nasal
  7. Palatine process on maxilla very prominent and hook-like

Species

Kerberosaurus manakini Bolotsky & Godefroit, 2004

Type species

Named for Russian colonel Manakin, who obtained the original specimens.

Holotype
AENM 1/319 , Amur Natural History Museum of the Institute of Geology and Nature Management, Russian Academy of Sciences
Material
Braincase including prootic, laterosphenoid, orbitosphenoid, basioccipital, basisphenoid, parasphenoid, and parietal
Horizon
Udurchukan Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Nagornaia Street, Blagoveschensk, Amur, Russia

References

  1. Bolotsky, Y. L.; Godefroit, P. (2004). A new hadrosaurine dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Far Eastern Russia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24(2): 351-365. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1671/1110

    Gives the holotype's locality as "Upper part of Nagornaia street (50° 16′ 11.6″ N; 127° 28′ 33.1″ E), west of Blagoveschensk City".

    bolotsky2004a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Ornithischians. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the appearance features.

    jones2026a
  3. Godefroit, P.; Lauters, P.; Van Itterbeeck, J.; Bolotsky, Yu. L.; Dong, Z.; Jin, L.; Wu, W.; Bolotsky, I. Y.; Hai, S.; Yu, T. (2011). Recent advances on study of hadrosaurid dinosaurs in Heilongjiang (Amur) River area between China and Russia. Global Geology 14(3): 160-191. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-9736.2011.03.03

    States the Udurchukan Formation and lower Tsagayan Group for the Blagoveschensk locality, which it places within the city limits, and heads the locality with the same position as the describing paper.

    godefroit2011a