Hypacrosaurus

nearly the highest lizard

• hypo-/hyp- · Greek · under, nearly, just below
• akros · Greek · highest, topmost
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name means "nearly the highest lizard". Barnum Brown chose it because Hypacrosaurus was large, but not quite as tall as Tyrannosaurus, which was the biggest predator known at the time. The name also alludes to the tall neural spines on its back vertebrae, which were taller than those of Trachodon (Brown's comparison genus) but not as tall as those of Acrosaurus-like forms.

Named by

Brown

Year named

1913

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stages

Campanian – Maastrichtian

Found in

Alberta, Canada (Horseshoe Canyon and Oldman/Two Medicine-age deposits), and Montana, USA

A lambeosaurine hadrosaur with a rounded, hollow crest. Type species is H. altispinus. A second species, H. stebingeri, is known from Montana. The etymology is commonly given as "nearly the highest lizard", referring to its size being just below that of Tyrannosaurus; some details of Brown's reasoning vary between sources. The location and stage details are summarised and may not be exhaustive.