• Stygimoloch – Resumenea

NameStygimoloch spinifer SizeLarge EraMesozoic PeriodCretaceous DietHerbivoreHabitatNorth America NatureTerrestrial

What is a Stygimoloch?

Stygimoloch was an ornithischian dinosaur from the Pachycephalosaria group. Like practically all individuals in this group, it had a thickened skull and long spines on the back of the head. There is only one species called Stygimoloch spinifer.

It was a medium-sized pachycephalosaur, which could measure up to 3 meters long.. It had a thick cranial roof formed by the frontal and parietal bones that were fused. It also had an arched and very pointed cap, which almost no other representative of this group had.

Its skull was adorned with numerous small bony protuberances, including those on the nasal bone and scales. On the back of the head you could also see two 10 centimeters long horns protruding backwards, in addition to having some smaller horns.

Finding of the Stygimoloch

Fossil remains of Stygimoloch have been found in North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana in the United States. They date from the Cretaceous period, between 69 and 66 million years ago.

The genus was first described by Gaton & Sues in 1983. The holotype species and a species known as Stygimoloch spinifer. His name derives from Styx, which was a name from Greek mythology, and Moloch, who was a demon from Hebrew tradition. He chose that name because of the characteristic horns on him that gave him a demonic-style appearance.

Added to this is that it received its name from the Hell Creek Formation. If we translate it is interpreted that hell it’s hell and Creek It is a stream. Therefore it means hell stream. It was there that five fragmentary skulls have been recovered.

It was named in 1983 by the British paleontologist Peter M. Galton and the German paleontologist Hans-Dieter Sues.

Peter Galton helped defend the 1974 cladistic theory that modern birds were derived from prehistoric dinosaurs. He also showed that Hypsilophodon did not live in trees after all and that hadrosaurs did not drag their tails, but used them as counterweights.

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What did the Stygimoloch eat?

It is generally believed that Stygimoloch was herbivorous. However, some consider that it was omnivorous and this idea is supported by the Pachycephalosaurus, which was a bipedal clade that ate meat and vegetables.

The Stymoloch could have eaten angiosperm plants that characterized the Cretaceous period. These flowering plants were largely responsible for the new lush lowland landscapes that eventually became pastures, which the Stygimoloch also inhabited.

It is also thought that it may have consumed eggs abundantly, while searching for plant life, along with small marsupials and placental mammals. Snails, insects, or anything small enough to be easy prey would have been easy prey for this genus.

How is Stygimoloch classified?

Stygimoloch belongs to the Pachycephalosauria family. Its name comes from Greek pachis What does it mean thick, kephale What does head mean? saurus which is a lizard Therefore it means thick-headed lizard.

Together with Ceratopsia they constitute the Marginocephalia family. The genera they contain are Stygimoloch, Stegoceras, Prenocephale, and Pachycephalosaurus.

Most of the Pachycephalosaurus lived at the end of the Cretaceous period between 85.8 and 65.5 million years ago.. They lived mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, more specifically in North America and also in Asia.

They were all herbivorous or omnivorous animals, bipedal, and had thick skulls. These had a domed, flat or wedge-shaped shape. This varied with the species and all were deeply ossified. The domes of their heads were often surrounded by knots or spikes. Partial skeletons of several species of Pachycephalosaurus have been found. No complete skeletons have been found.

Some of the oldest known Pachycephalosaurus include Fergaocephale adenticulatum which was found in the Middle Jurassic layers of Kyrgyzstan and Stenopelix valdenses from the Early Cretaceous layers of Germany.

The oldest Pachicephalosarus today is Acrotholus audeti, which belonged to the Upper Cretaceous in Canada.

What was the Stygimoloch’s habitat like?

The Stygimoloch lived in warm places with abundant vegetation and rivers. It could survive in both hot and cold climates. It looked for environments with forest cover where it could take refuge and protect itself from predators.

Open grasslands and prairies were usually not far from their home, as they found much of their food there. The speed allowed him to move quickly to hide or defend himself from his competitors.

It could move through difficult terrain, which allowed it to adapt to various types of habitats of its time. Fossil evidence suggests that it could live comfortably in coastal regions.

It originally lived in North America, particularly in the western region of the continent. Everything would indicate that it lived around the rivers and coasts of the Western Interior Seaway. This ocean was in the process of retreat towards the end of the Cretaceous period.

Pachicephalosaurus skulls are often found isolated from the rest of the skeletons. This peculiarity led paleontologists to suggest that they inhabited mountains and that their skulls ended up rolling downhill when their bodies decomposed.

However, this has been ruled out because complete Stygimoloch skeletons have been found.

Other features of the Stygimoloch

Find out below what particularities stood out to the Stygimoloch.

Paleobiology

Like all pachycephalosaurs, it had hind legs significantly longer than its front legs. It was bipedal, so it moved on its two legs. It is possible that he kept his spine horizontal when he ran and his tail, rigid due to its ossified tendons, served as a counterweight.

There is no agreement on the function that its thick cap and spines would fulfill. They carried out ramming duels with the skulls, to gain the privilege of mating. Kenneth Carpenter claims that the impact area of such duels was too small due to the bulging skull.

He thinks it is conceivable that the animals tried to hit their opponent’s flanks during duels. It is also thought that in the Stygimoloch the cap and thorns served only for display.

Motion

Stygimoloch was a bipedal ornithischian dinosaur, large and powerful in the pelvic region. His legs were relatively long for his size. In comparison, his upper body was light, which alleviated his aerodynamic needs. Although its head was long, it was also relatively small and light..

It is possible that it was a fast and efficient omnivore, which could have had considerable strength to trot or jump, as kangaroos do today.

In its defense it was formidable, capable of hitting and cutting the belly of any carnivorous predator, if it managed to land the blow from the right angle.

Activity

It is thought that the Stygimoloch was diurnal, so it would be active mostly during the day. Its rectangular pupils would help protect its eyes from the glare of the sun, an adaptation present today in diurnal animals.

Reproduction

Not much is known about their reproduction since no fossils of their eggs have been found. It is possible that he reached maturity around 7 years old. Fossils indicate that juvenile specimens had softer skulls than adults and their horns became rounder as they grew.

This gave the younger ones flat heads and long horns, while the adults had rounded domes and shorter horns. There are also no clues about his parental behavior, but it is possible that he was protective of his offspring.

It is also possible that courtship involved displays of strength, something that was also necessary for survival. The thickness of the dome and the size of the horns possibly attracted females.

His horns

Despite its large horns all over its bony head, it is believed to have been a largely passive omnivore-herbivore. Any actual use of its horns and domed skull would have been for defense from predators or in social activities with its own species.

Life expectancy

It is not possible to know exactly how long the Stygimoloch was capable of living. But specialists have estimated, in comparison with other similar specimens that could live to be 60 years old.

When did the Stygimoloch become extinct?

The stratigraphic levels in which the remains of the Stygimoloch would have been found belong to a period dating from 69 to 66 million years ago.

Therefore, its disappearance is due to the mass extinction event that ended the predominance of dinosaurs on the planet. It was a devastating event and too fast.

The main theory refers to the meteorite that impacted what is now Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. It would have been 10 km long and was the main driver of the accelerated changes that the planet experienced.

It is also thought that different forms of life were actually harmed by profound volcanic activity. This would have rapidly modified living conditions, making the survival of many species impossible. From then on, mammals could develop satisfactorily.