Parasaurolophus is a hadrosaurid, part of a diverse family of large Late Cretaceous ornithopods that are known for their range of bizarre head adornments, which were likely used for communication and increased hearing. This genus is known for its large, elaborate cranial crest, which forms a long curved tube projecting upwards and back from the skull in its largest form. Charonosaurus from China, which may have been its closest relative, had a similar skull and a potentially similar crest. Visual recognition of both species and , acoustic resonance, and thermoregulation have been proposed as functional explanations for the crest. It is one of the rarer hadrosaurids, known from only a handful of good specimens.

This cute yet dramatic pen holder represents a specific specimen found with severe trauma to the neural spines of its back. It's been speculated that the trauma may have been caused by a falling tree, or in this case, your pen!