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About Hypacrosaurus:
Hypacrosaurus received its odd name ("almost the highest lizard") because, when it was discovered in 1910, this duck-billed herbivore was considered second only to T. Rex in size. It has since been outclassed by numerous other dinosaurs, both herbivores and carnivores, but the name has stuck.
What sets Hypacrosaurus apart from other hadrosaurs is the discovery of a complete nesting ground, complete with fossilized eggs and hatchlings. This has allowed paleontologists to piece together a fair amount of information about Hypacrosaurus' growth patterns and family life, data that's sorely lacking for most dinosaurs. For instance, we now know that Hypacrosaurus hatchlings attained adult sizes in 10 or 12 years, far sooner than the 20 or 30 years of the typical tyrannosaur.
