9407857 Forster This study addresses the patterns of historical diversification of the duck-billed dinosaurs, or Hadrosauridae. This group of dinosaurs is not only the largest, but the most diverse and biogeographically widespread lineage of ornithischian dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous period. Hadrosaurids have a rich fossil history, and are among the best collected groups of dinosaurs with the best prepared specimens. Their unique anatomical specializations, including elaborate features of the jaws, provide ample information for reconstructing their genealogical relationships. No such reconstruction currently exists, and this proposal seeks to provide one. This reconstruction will form the basis for exploring hypotheses about the history and biogeography of this important group of dinosaurs.
