Pronunciation: ga-LEE-a-MO-puss
Meaning: In need of a helmet
Author/s: Tschopp et al. (2015)
Synonyms: Diplodocus hayi (Holland, 1924)
First Discovery: Wyoming, USA
Acta Ordinal: #906
Galeamopus hayi
A beaked giant
In 2026, Gobbo and colleagues studied the small openings for nerves and blood vessels on the front of a Galeamopus skull and compared them with living animals whose facial tissues are well understood. They found that the pattern matches modern birds more than crocodiles, suggesting that Galeamopus carried a broad, tough, beak-like keratin covering—an "odontoscutum"—over the snout and lower jaw. This sheath likely overlapped the teeth, protecting them from mechanical wear and tear during feeding, and helping the animal grasp and strip vegetation.
