Olorotitan

Name:

Olorotitan (Greek for "giant swan"); pronounced oh-LOW-roe-TIE-tan

Habitat:

Woodlands of Asia

Historical Period:

Late Cretaceous (70-65 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

About 40 feet long and 5 tons

Diet:

Plants

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Long neck; tall, pointed crest

About Olorotitan:

One of the most euphoniously named of all dinosaurs, Olorotitan is Greek for "giant swan" (which conjures up a much more romantic image than its fellow hadrosaur, Anatotitan, aka "giant duck.") This herbivore earned its name for its relatively long neck, compared to other duck-billed dinosaurs, as well as the tall, pointed crest on its head, which was probably brightly colored to attract mates. Its closest relatives seem to have been the American Corythosaurus and Hypacrosaurus.

Discovered in eastern Russia in 2003, Olorotitan is the most complete hadrosaur fossil ever to be dug up outside North America--it's now on display at the Amur Museum of Natural History, if you ever feel like dropping by.