Fun Prenocephale Facts For Kids

Prenocephale is one of those dinosaur genera which has a memorable anatomy. This dinosaur was a small pachycephalosaurid genus. It is said that they roamed around the earth during the Late Cretaceous age. The remains of this member of the Pachycephalosauridae clan were found in Mongolia.There are a lot of similarities between the Prenocephale and its close relative, the Homalocephale, which may otherwise represent the Prenocephale juveniles as they are similar in many ways.The meaning of Prenocephale translates to ‘sloping head’ and was named for the structure of its skull. The Pachycephalosauria clade houses a large number of omnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs which existed during the Late Cretaceous time period. The Prenocephale is a part of this clade.The type species, P. prenes, were described in 1974 by Marynska & Osmolska.We are sure you will love reading these exciting facts on the Prenocephale! For more relatable content, check out these Zuniceratops facts and Sauropelta facts for kids.

What did they prey on? Plants and insects

What did they eat? Omnivore

Average litter size? N/A

How much did they weigh? 286.6 lb (130 kg)

How long were they? 8 ft (2.4 m)

How tall were they? N/A

What did they look like? Dome-shaped head

Skin Type Scales

What were their main threats? Natural disasters

Where were they found? Upland forests

Locations Asia (Mongolia)

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Prenocephale

Class Dinosauria

Family Pachycephalosauridae

Scientific Name Prenocephale prenes

How scary were they? 4

How loud were they? 3

How intelligent were they? 3

Prenocephale Interesting FactsHow do you pronounce ‘Prenocephale’?The Prenocephale pronunciation is ‘PREN-oh-cee-FAL-EE’ or ‘P‬ree-no-sef-ah-lay’.What type of dinosaur was a Prenocephale?This genus is made up of pachycephalosaurid species, which belonged to the Ornithischia order. Another dinosaur genus of the pachycephalosaur group that may have lived on earth alongside the Prenocephale dinosaur is the Tylocephale.In which geological period did the Prenocephale roam the earth?The Prenocephale dinosaur roamed around the earth during the Maastrichtian/Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period.When did the Prenocephale become extinct?There is no exact record of when this species of the Ornithischia order became extinct.Where did a Prenocephale live?The Prenocephale was said to live in the Nemegt Formation of modern-day Mongolia.Other dinosaur species found in Mongolia are the Protoceratops and Tarbosaurus which are close relatives of the Tyrannosaurus, the Oviraptor, and the Zanabazar.What was a Prenocephale’s habitat?This species was said to reside in high upland forestlands.Who did a Prenocephale live with?There is no information on Prenocephale wildlife behavior. They might have lived alone or in herds like most herbivore dinosaurs.How long did a Prenocephale live?Not much information is available on the lifespan of this dinosaur.How did they reproduce?Unfortunately, there is insufficient information on the reproductive behavior of this Pachycephalosaurid. It is just known that reproduced by laying eggs.Prenocephale Fun FactsWhat did a Prenocephale look like?As the Prenocephale name suggests, the Prenocephale skull was not flat, instead it was sloping and rounded. This dome-head had a row of multiple bumps and small bony spikes.The entire Prenocephale skeleton has yet not been retrieved. The only research made on this species is based on the Prenocephale formation consisting of the skull and other smaller bones of the Prenocephale skeletal system. Reconstructions of this specimen have usually depicted the Prenocephale having the same basic body structure as other Pachycephalosauria, including a stout body, short and thick neck, tall hindlimbs, and short forelimbs.The Prenocephale head has been compared with the Stegoceras, though with closed supratemporal fenestrae. Paired grooves present above the prefrontals/supraorbitals, together with a posterior parietal that clearly restricts the main frontal dome, are not seen in Prenocephale.The Prenocephale snout is much narrower when compared to other dinosaurs of the pachycephalosaur group. Earlier, Homalocephale specimens were seen as a juvenile of the Prenocephale species as they lacked the dome structure, and the observation was based on the discovery of their remains in the same location. Both species were also said to exist in the same chronological interval. However, newer specimens of Prenocephale, which included a juvenile dinosaur, concluded that both genera are distinct.Apart from this information, not much is known about the description of the Prenocephale prenes etymology.How many bones did a Prenocephale have?Only a few bones of Prenocephale fossils have been retrieved, which include the sloped skull. There is no complete data about the number of bones this dinosaur possessed.The fossils of this dinosaur were found and collected during the times of the Joint Polish-Mongolian Expeditions to the famous Asian desert, the Gobi desert. The Gobi Desert is located in the region of southern Mongolia and north China. The Gobi Desert is said to be the sixth-largest desert in comparison to all the deserts of the world. In Asia, it bags the second place for the largest desert, closely following the Arabian Desert.It is said that the specimens of this genus had really good eyesight. Wondering how this was discovered? The eye sockets in their skulls were very large!How did they communicate?Oops! Not much content is available on how these herbivores belonging to the Campanian of the Late Cretaceous time period communicated!How big was a Prenocephale?Research made on the height of this dinosaur suggests that specimens of this species could grow up to 8 ft (2.4 m) in length. When comparing the Prenocephale size, the wildlife species Gasparinisaura can be taken into consideration. Prenocephale length is about eight times the height of the Gasparinisaura.How fast could a Prenocephale move?Unfortunately, insufficient content is available on the research behind this dinosaur species.How much did a Prenocephale weigh?Adult Prenocephale dinosaurs have been estimated to weigh about 286.6 lb (130 kg).What were the male and female names of the species?There are no specific names for male and female pachycephalosaurs.What would you call a baby Prenocephale?Babies of the Pachycephalosauridae family have no particular name. Baby dinosaurs can be called hatchlings.What did they eat?There has not been much research done to know what exactly these animals of the Cerapoda suborder ate. Most experts believe that this species probably survived on a diet consisting of fruits and leaves. However, some believe that this was an omnivore species, consuming insects for survival as well. The muzzle and premaxillary teeth of the Prenocephale are not as wideset as seen in its relatives, the Stegoceras.Many dinosaurs followed a herbivore diet. Some of the famous plant-eating species include Dracorex, Triceratops, Argentinosaurus, Moschops, Edmontosaurus, Diplodocus, and even Hadrosaurus.How aggressive were they?Uh oh, we could not find any information on the basic personality of this herbivore with a sloped skull. As they were herbivorous in nature, it can be assumed that they were not very aggressive.Did you know…The Prenocephale name simply means ‘sloping head’. This herbivore species (clade Dinosauria, Ornithischia order) is quite similar in many ways to the Homalocephale, which might simply represent Prenocephale juveniles.Homalocephale specimens have been noticed having a wedge-shaped flat skull. This same feature is a juvenile trait observed in the younger stages of the Pachycephalosaurus development and simply represents Prenocephale juveniles as well.The Sphaerotholus of North America was seen by Sullivan (2003) as another synonym of Prenocephale. However, Schott and Evans (2016) and Longrich (2010) considered it as a separate genus solely on the research on the cladistic analysis.The close relative of the Homalocephale, H. calathocercos, was described by Teresa Maryanska and Halszka Osmolska in the year 1974. Other dinosaur genera which displayed rounded dome skull shapes include the Acrotholus and Pachycephalosaurus.Some consider that the Prenocephale is also quite similar to the Sphaerotholus buchholtzae.Some suggest that this genus had more species under it, namely the P.‭ ‬brevis,‭ ‬and the P.‭ ‬edmontonensis.Some of the dinosaurs which existed during the Campanian age include the Kritosaurus, Maiasaura, Nipponosaurus, Hypacrosaurus, and Stephanosaurus.What terrain did the Prenocephale live in?The habitat of the Prenocephale (clade Dinosauria, Ornithischia order) was mainly around high upland forests. This allowed this herbivore dinosaur to get sufficient food for its diet.Did Prenocephales attack other dinosaurs?While it is not known if these dinosaurs attacked anyone, but with such a beautiful, large skull, the Prenocephale probably participated in head-butting competitions, using their dome-shaped skulls to the best use. Their thick skulls protected the brains from any sort of possible damages. This behavior was expected to be observed in their relatives, Pachycephalosaurus and the Stegoceras.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other dinosaurs from our Ostafrikasaurus interesting facts and Tupuxuara fun facts for kids pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Prenocephale coloring pages.Main image by AntoninJury

How do you pronounce ‘Prenocephale’?

The Prenocephale pronunciation is ‘PREN-oh-cee-FAL-EE’ or ‘P‬ree-no-sef-ah-lay’.

Fun Prenocephale Facts For Kids

What did they prey on? Plants and insects

What did they eat? Omnivore

Average litter size? N/A

How much did they weigh? 286.6 lb (130 kg)

How long were they? 8 ft (2.4 m)

How tall were they? N/A

What did they look like? Dome-shaped head

Skin Type Scales

What were their main threats? Natural disasters

Where were they found? Upland forests

Locations Asia (Mongolia)

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Prenocephale

Class Dinosauria

Family Pachycephalosauridae

Scientific Name Prenocephale prenes

How scary were they? 4

How loud were they? 3

How intelligent were they? 3

Fun Prenocephale Facts For Kids

What did they prey on? Plants and insects

What did they eat? Omnivore

Average litter size? N/A

How much did they weigh? 286.6 lb (130 kg)

How long were they? 8 ft (2.4 m)

How tall were they? N/A

What did they look like? Dome-shaped head

Skin Type Scales

What were their main threats? Natural disasters

Where were they found? Upland forests

Locations Asia (Mongolia)

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Prenocephale

Class Dinosauria

Family Pachycephalosauridae

Scientific Name Prenocephale prenes

How scary were they? 4

How loud were they? 3

How intelligent were they? 3

Fun Prenocephale Facts For Kids

What did they prey on? Plants and insects

What did they eat? Omnivore

Average litter size? N/A

How much did they weigh? 286.6 lb (130 kg)

How long were they? 8 ft (2.4 m)

How tall were they? N/A

What did they look like? Dome-shaped head

Skin Type Scales

What were their main threats? Natural disasters

Where were they found? Upland forests

Locations Asia (Mongolia)

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Prenocephale

Class Dinosauria

Family Pachycephalosauridae

Scientific Name Prenocephale prenes

How scary were they? 4

How loud were they? 3

How intelligent were they? 3