Name:
Alaskacephale (Greek for "Alaskan head"); pronounced ah-LASS-kah-SEFF-ah-lee
Habitat:
Woodlands of western U.S.
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (80-70 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About eight feet long and 500 pounds
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Moderate size; thick skull
About Alaskacephale:
One of the newer pachycephalosaurs (bone-headed dinosaurs) on the block,
Alaskacephale was named in 2006 after the state of the U.S. where its incomplete skeleton was found. Originally thought be a species (or perhaps a juvenile) of Pachycephalosaurus, it was later "diagnosed" as belonging to its own genus based on slight variations in its skeletal structure.
