In the battle of the bone-headed dinosaurs, the Pachycephalosaurus is the winner. The Pachycephalosaurus was much larger than the Stegoceras and had a much larger dome-shaped skull to use as a weapon. While the Stegoceras was fast, it was likely no match for the size of the Pachycephalosaurus.
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Battle Facts about Pachycephalosaurus vs. Stegoceras
| Name | Pachycephalosaurus, Troodon wyomingensis, “thick-headed lizard” | Stegoceras, Stegoceras validum, “dome-headed” |
| Size | 16 feet long | 8 feet long |
| Speed | unknown | 25 mph |
| Offense | Used the thick knobs on their skull as a weapon, powerful back legs | Used its thick skull to head-butt targets |
| Defense | Very thick, bone-headed skull | The 3-inch thick skull |
| Endurance and Behavior | Traveled in large herds, very social dinosaurs | The speedy runner, often fled from the battle |
The Pachycephalosaurus and Stegoceras were two very similar herbivorous dinosaurs that lived during the late Cretaceous period almost 70 million years ago. As neighbors living in similar areas in North America, these two likely bumped into each other occasionally. And with very thick skulls that they used for weapons, bumping into these pachycephalosauria head-on was quite painful!
What Dinosaur Was Similar To Pachycephalosaurus?
The Pachycephalosaurus was a member of the pachycephalosaurid dinosaurs that included other relatives such as the Dracorex and Stygimoloch. While the Dracorex and Stygimoloch were significantly smaller than the Pachycephalosaurus, they had one thing in common: a hard head perfect for ramming.
There are other dinosaurs with similar head protection, like the Triceratops, but the Pachycephalosaurus had the thickest skull of them all!
How did the Pachycephalosaurus use its head?
In most instances, the thick nodes on its dome were like a built-in helmet that protected its head when faced with predators. Its ornamentation could also be used as a weapon when fighting off predators, defending territory, or used in mating. As an herbivore, this dino didn’t need to use its head to fight for food, but it could use it to defend itself against a meat-eating theropod.
What Was The Stegoceras Like?
The Stegoceras was a bipedal (or two-legged) pachycephalosaur that was small, quick, and incredibly agile. As a smaller herbivore dinosaur living with giant meat-eaters of the late Cretaceous period, it had a few tricks up its sleeve to prevent it from becoming a T-Rex’ lunch.
Stegoceras dinosaurs preferred to travel in packs, which kept them protected because there was strength in numbers. This dino was swift and agile and could flee from predators quickly.
Which Dinos Lived With The Stegoceras?
Unfortunately, the small Stegoceras lived with some colossal ornithischian dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous period. The first fossil records of this dino were unearthed in Alberta, Canada, which made these small dinosaur neighbors with ferocious predators like:
- Tyrannosaurus Rex
- Parasaurolophus
- Albertosaurus
- Gorgosaurus
- Daspletosaurus
What’s The Difference Between a Pachycephalosaurus and a Stegoceras?
The biggest difference between the Pachycephalosaurus and Stegoceras was their sizes. The Pachycephalosaurus could weigh up to 900 pounds, while the Stegoceras only weighed about 75 pounds.
The Pachycephalosaurus was one of the biggest members of the Pachycephalosauridae family, while the Stegoceras was the smallest.
They had very similar characteristics in their thick skulls and overall frames, but the Pachycephalosaurus towered over the very small Stegoceras.
Were These Dinosaurs Neighbors?
The odds were high that the Pachycephalosaurus and a Stegoceras were neighbors. Both species of dinosaurs lived during the Campanian age in areas of North America such as Montana, New Mexico, and even parts of Mongolia.
While they likely shared a similar space and feeding grounds, it’s unlikely that these two dinosaurs ever fought. The Pachycephalosaurus was aggressive for a herbivore, but the Stegoceras was jumpy and quick and would likely flee at the first sign of trouble.
Which Dino Was Stronger And Had a Better Bite?
Overall, the Pachycephalosaurus was the stronger dinosaur with the more ferocious bite. Since these dinosaurs were both herbivores (meaning they just ate plants and berries), their bite force wasn’t very strong.
However, they both had a mouth full of sharp, serrated teeth like steak knives primarily used to cut through sharp sticks and twigs. While they didn’t often eat meat, some paleontologists believe that the Pachycephalosaurus would sometimes eat smaller animals if plants were scarce.
Which Dino Would Win In A Battle And How?
The clear winner of this dino battle is the Pachycephalosaurus. Since both dinos use head-butting behaviors as an offensive and defensive tactic, the bigger dinosaur is the winner. And in this case, the Pachycephalosaurus is much larger and more powerful than the small Stegoceras.
The Pachycephalosaurus would likely charge on the Stegoceras with its head down and use its dome-shaped skull like a battering ram. The Stegoceras would try and flee but would probably be unsuccessful.