Pachycephalosaurus
Pachycephalosaurus was a dinosaur with a super thick, bony dome on its head. It walked on two legs and used its beak to snip plants. It lived at the very end of the Age of Dinosaurs, about 69 to 66 million years ago.12
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Fun facts
The bony dome on its skull could be up to 25 centimetres (10 inches) thick, safely cushioning its tiny brain.2
Scientists used to think Stygimoloch and Dracorex were different dinosaurs, but now most believe they were just young Pachycephalosaurus.12
The first Pachycephalosaurus fossil was found around 1860 and was thought to be from an armadillo-like creature. It was named Tylosteus.12
Pachycephalosaurus was one of the last non-bird dinosaurs alive before the big extinction 66 million years ago.2
Its dome may have been used for head-butting fights, like bighorn sheep, but some scientists now disagree.2
Pachycephalosaurus had a beak for cropping plants and small, serrated teeth that could also shred meat, so it might have eaten some meat too.2

Most asked questions about Pachycephalosaurus
?How big was Pachycephalosaurus?
Pachycephalosaurus was about 4.5 metres (15 feet) long and weighed around 370 to 450 kilograms (820 to 990 pounds). That's about as long as a small car and as heavy as a large horse.23
?What did Pachycephalosaurus eat?
Pachycephalosaurus was a herbivore, eating leaves, fruit, and seeds. Some scientists think it might have also eaten meat because its teeth look a bit like those of meat-eaters, but nobody knows for sure.32
?Did Pachycephalosaurus use its dome for head-butting?
Many scientists think Pachycephalosaurus used its thick dome for head-butting fights, like bighorn sheep do today. But some experts disagree and think the dome was for display, like deer antlers. It is still a mystery.32
?When did Pachycephalosaurus live?
Pachycephalosaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 69 to 66 million years ago. It was one of the last non-bird dinosaurs before the big extinction.32
?Where was Pachycephalosaurus found?
Fossils of Pachycephalosaurus have been found in Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Alberta. That's in North America.32
?Was Pachycephalosaurus a dinosaur?
Yes, Pachycephalosaurus was a dinosaur. It was a type of pachycephalosaurid ornithischian dinosaur, which means it was a plant-eating dinosaur with bird-like hips.2
?How thick was Pachycephalosaurus's skull?
The bony dome on its skull could be up to 25 centimetres (10 inches) thick. That's about as thick as a big dictionary.24
?Did Pachycephalosaurus have feathers?
The sources don't mention feathers on Pachycephalosaurus. So we don't know if it had feathers. It probably had scaly skin like other dinosaurs of its group.2
?Could Pachycephalosaurus run fast?
The sources don't give a speed for Pachycephalosaurus. But it walked on two legs and had long, strong legs, so it might have been able to run quickly to escape predators.2
?Is Pachycephalosaurus related to Triceratops?
Yes, Pachycephalosaurus and Triceratops are both part of a group called Marginocephalia, which means 'head-fringed' dinosaurs. They are distant cousins.2

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Myth buster
Myth: Pachycephalosaurus used its dome to ram into rivals at full speed.
Truth: The dome was probably used for head-butting, but the shape and structure suggest it was more for pushing or flank-butting, not full-speed ramming.2
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Named by
- Brown and Schlaikjer 19435
- Group
- Dome-heads
- Family / clade
- Eupachycephalosauria5
- Classification
- Ornithischia > Pachycephalosauria5
- Age of the rocks
- 84 to 66 million years (Campanian / Maastrichtian)5
- Rock formations
- Hell Creek, Lance, Ferris5
- Countries
- USA, Canada5
- Fossil records
- 34 in the Paleobiology Database5
- Also known as
- Dracorex, Stenotholus, Stygimoloch, Tylosteus (older names now counted as the same animal)5
- Discovery
- The name Pachycephalosaurus was created in 1943 by Barnum Brown and Erich Maren Schlaikjer after more complete skulls were found in Montana and South Dakota.12
- Still debated
- Scientists still debate whether Stygimoloch and Dracorex are really just young Pachycephalosaurus or separate species.2
Where the facts come from
- Pachycephalosaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
- Pachycephalosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Pachycephalosaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
- Pachycephalosaurus Wyomingensis, Dinosaur Pictures, Dinosaur Facts - National Geographic | National Geographic (nationalgeographic.com)
- Pachycephalosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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