Research Quest On-Demand: Q&A with Tylor Birthisel

The Research Quest Live team welcomes Tylor Birthisel, NHMU's Paleo Prep Lab Manager to discuss his work both in the field and back at the museum. He will answer student questions and talk about many of his favorite dinosaurs.

One of his favorite dinosaurs is the parasaurolophus — The Parasaurolophus was a duck-billed dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous. It featured a long, distinctive head crest, and thanks to fossilized skin impressions, we know it had scaly, reptilian skin. Utah has the greatest number of Parasaurolophus fossils currently discovered. The name Parasaurolophus translates to “like Saurolophus,” because of its similar appearance to another duck-billed dinosaur. Scientists believe that the Parasaurolophus may have blown air through its head crest, making a sound similar to that of an elephant trumpeting — though they aren’t certain whether this call was used in defense, mating calls, or general communication between members of the herd. Birthisel calls this special feature “tube technology.”

Check it out, then continue on to Research Quest.