Magnapaulia

Magnapaulia was a colossal hollow-crested duck-billed dinosaur that inhabited coastal river systems of Baja California, Mexico, during the Late Cretaceous. Estimated to reach between ten and twelve and a half metres in length and weigh well over six tonnes, it ranks among the largest known lambeosaurines. Its most striking anatomical feature was the series of remarkably tall neural spines along the tail, producing a deep, paddle-like silhouette in life. Skin impressions found with the fossils demonstrate large, rounded scales with occasional osteoderm-like clusters across the flank. Like its close kin, Magnapaulia was an efficient herbivore that ground tough conifer foliage and flowering plants using batteries of self-sharpening teeth, switching easily between quadrupedal browsing and two-legged walking.

It possessed extraordinarily tall neural spines along its tail, giving it a deep, ribbon-like tail profile.

Where and when

Magnapaulia lived in the Late Cretaceous, from 75.5 to 73 million years ago (Campanian age). Its remains come from Mexico, in the El Gallo Formation.

The numbers

Length 11 m (estimates run from 10 to 13 m). Mass about 7.1 t. Hip height about 3.8 m. That is 6.6 human-lengths, or 1.01 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

Compare Magnapaulia with a bus Place on the timeline