Parksosaurus — artistic reconstruction

Cretaceous

Parksosaurus

Parksosaurus warreni

The catalogue presents Parksosaurus as a herbivore member of Thescelosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 66.5–66.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 2.4 m in length and 40–60 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Alberta, Canada. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.

Herbivore66.5–66.0 MaThescelosauridae

Evidence-backed summary

For Parksosaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Sternberg (1937).

The PBDB places it in Thescelosaurinae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Thescelosauridae.

In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Maastrichtian.

The PBDB catalogues 3 occurrences, with material from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (3). Provenance: Canada.

The catalogue records the holotype as ROM 804 and the type locality as “Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Alberta, Canada”.

  • ROM 804
  • Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Alberta, Canada

The catalogue's reference measurements are 2.4 m in length and 40–60 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.

  • 2.4 m
  • 40-60 kg

The record gathers 46 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.

Records compiled on 2026-08-08

Where it lived

Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.

Present-day map3 PBDB
Horseshoe CanyonHorseshoe CanyonHorseshoe Canyon
PBDB occurrences
Map at the time · ~70 Ma3 PBDB
Horseshoe CanyonHorseshoe CanyonHorseshoe Canyon
PBDB occurrences
Present mean latitude51.5° N
Reconstructed mean latitude63.6° N

Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.

Paleobiology Database · GPlates · CC BY 4.0

Artistic 3D reconstruction

There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.

Physical Specifications

Length
2.4 m
Weight
40–60 kg
Period
Cretaceous
Time range
66.5–66.0 Ma

Discovery Information

First Discovery
1937
Described by
Parks

Taxonomic Classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Ornithischia
Family
Thescelosauridae
Genus
Parksosaurus
Species
P. warreni

Paleobiology Database · txn:38739

Data status

Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.

Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.

Type specimen
ROM 804
Type locality
Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Alberta, Canada