Paleontologists in Alberta have made a remarkable discovery by unearthing a massive 272-kilogram skull of a dinosaur.
The head belongs to a Pachyrhinosaurus dinosaur which roamed on the surface of the Earth around 72 million-years-ago.
The dinosaur has been named by paleontologists as “Big Sam”, for its large size.
Big Sam Discovered
This dinosaur, a plant-eater from around 70 million years ago, had a distinctive bony head about the size of a baby elephant.
The skull was excavated near Grande Prairie, in one of North America’s densest dinosaur bonebeds.
According to officials involved in the discovery, the region contains up to 300 bones per square meter.
Challenging Discovery
Excavating Big Sam’s didn’t come as an easy task as paleontologists had to dig carefully so as not to destroy parts of the skull.
This is the second adult Pachyrhinosaurus found at the site, with the previous one being discovered 16 years ago at the same spot.