Named for its swan-like neck, longer than those of other hadrosaurs (it has 18 neck vertebrae as opposed to the supposed maximum of 15 for hadrosaurs), Olorotitan is distinguished by its hatchet-shaped hollow crest, unique compared to the crests of its North American relatives. Otherwise, much like other hadrosaurs, Olorotitan possessed a battery of teeth to mash up food, while its crest, formed out of the bones containing the nasal passages, was also used as a striking display.