Stygimoloch

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***Stygimoloch*** is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur that originated from Late Cretaceous North America. The second-largest pachycephalosaur of the Hammond Foundation, *Stygimoloch* was cloned by InGen for exhibition at Jurassic World on Isla Nublar. *Stygimoloch* specimens were encountered on the island during the destructive volcanic eruption of Mount Sibo in 2018.

*Stygimoloch* is rewarded for progressing through the Entertainment Division on Isla Tacaño, and upon being researched, can subsequently be excavated at the Hell Creek and Lance Formations in North America.

The *Stygimoloch* was first added to the game with the Fallen Kingdom Dinosaur Update.

## History

Originally from the Late Cretaceous period of North America, *Stygimoloch* was cloned by InGen for Jurassic World on Isla Nublar, where it lived alongside its close relative *Pachycephalosaurus*. After the disastrous incident that took place in 2015, *Stygimoloch* and the park's other resident dinosaurs were released to the wild and were considered an endangered species at the time of the eruption of Mount Sibo.

At least five *Stygimoloch* were successfully transported by a team of mercenaries hired by Eli Mills to the Lockwood Estate in northern California, where the surviving dinosaurs were intended to be auctioned off. However, Claire Dearing and Owen Grady released an individual named "Stiggy" from its cage, and it subsequently went on a rampage throughout the manor, disrupting the auction and causing numerous injuries before fleeing into the surrounding forest. The other *Stygimoloch* were eventually freed by Maisie Lockwood alongside all the other dinosaurs.

Four years after the incident in Lockwood Manor, several *Stygimoloch* roamed the wilderness freely, with one being captured and displayed at the illegal Amber Clave Market of Valletta, Malta.

## Characteristics

Easily recognizable thanks to the large bony horns on the back of its head, which it uses to defend itself from predators, *Stygimoloch* is a small bipedal herbivorous dinosaur with a large domed head from the pachycephalosaur family that lived in the western United States around 65-68 million years ago. Measuring over three meters in length, it has a prominent crown of horns around its dome and snout. Its name translates to "*Styx Devil*", referring to the river in Greek mythology that separates Earth and bounds the Underworld. It had a smaller, flatter dome than other pachycephalosaurids, with more elaborate spikes around the skull. The base genome of the *Stygimoloch* is a chestnut brown body with cream underbelly and dark brown streaks on its back.

### Behaviour

*Stygimoloch* is one of the more social pachycephalosaurs, second only to *Homalocephale*, and can live in medium-sized to large groups of up to twelve members of their own kind, and up to fourteen dinosaurs of various species. While fairly easy to contain, *Stygimoloch* will become stressed when placed in an enclosure with less than four other *Stygimoloch*. While they are defenceless against larger carnivores, they will stand their ground and fight against small predators such as *Velociraptor* and *Troodon*.

With the *Claire's Sanctuary* expansion pack, *Stygimoloch* will have a paleobotany preference for Horsetails, and secondary preferences for Grasses and Cycads. However, they will be harmed if they eat Tree Ferns, Conifers and Ginkgo.

## Paleontology

The history of *Stygimoloch* is somewhat controversial, with many competing views about its classification. The first *Stygimoloch* was discovered towards the end of the 19th Century in the Hell Creek Formation, Texas as well as the Ferris and Lance Formations, but it wasn’t officially named until 1982, when Hans-Dieter Sues and Peter Galton formally described it as a new genus. Some experts now believe that the specimens found are in fact those of juvenile *Pachycephalosaurus*.

*Stygimoloch* is a controversial genus of Pachycephalosaurid due to two studies in 2009 and 2016 which argued that both *Dracorex* and *Stygimoloch* were actually immature forms of *Pachycephalosaurus* as well as a corroborative 2010 study which suggested that all flat-headed Pachycephalosaurids were juveniles of dome-headed adults. However, a 2017 paper revealed that *Stygimoloch* lived about 2 million years later than *Pachycephalosaurus*, renewing confidence in its status as a distinct genus (or possibly a second species of *Pachycephalosaurus*).

The name *Stygimoloch* means "*Demon of the River Styx*", in reference to the Hell Creek formation where it was found and its ring of horns around its bony dome, giving it a devilish look.

### Paleoecology

*Stygimoloch* during the Late Cretaceous period, roaming the forests and plains of North America. There, it lived alongside many other dinosaurs, including the hadrosaur *Edmontosaurus*, the ceratopsians *Triceratops* and *Torosaurus*, the armored *Ankylosaurus*, the ornithomimid *Struthiomimus*, as well as the theropods *Troodon* and the apex predator *Tyrannosaurus*.

*Stygimoloch* fossils have been found in regions known to be subtropical along the shoreline of the Western Interior Sea. There was no cold season, and steady amounts of rainfall buried specimens under layers of sand after they were washed downstream.

## Skins

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 ARID

 COASTAL

 RAINFOREST

 STEPPE

 WETLAND

## Behind the scenes

The *Stygimoloch* was created using the 3D model that was created for 2018's *Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom* by Industrial Light & Magic, as well as audio files provided by Universal Pictures to create the most authentic representation of the dinosaur.

With Update 1.8, *Stygimoloch*, along with *Pachycephalosaurus* and *Dracorex*, were given the ability to fight and kill small carnivores.

## Gallery

VideosSpecies Profile - Stygimoloch
Images
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bayona, J. A. (Director). (2018). *Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom* [Film]. Universal Pictures.
2. ↑ Trevorrow, Colin. (Director). (2022). *Jurassic World Dominion* [Film]. Universal Pictures.
3. ↑ Krupa, Daniel (May 16, 2018). HOW JURASSIC WORLD EVOLUTION MADE ITS T.REX - IGN FIRST *IGN*. Retrieved June 14, 2018