Triceratops

Triceratops (1)

NAME: Triceratops means 'three-horned face’.

DISCOVERED BY: Marsh, 1889.

CLASSIFICATION: Ornithischia, Marginocephalia, Ceratopsidae.

REMAINS: discovered in North America.

DIMENSIONS: length: 9 metres; height: 3 metres; weight: 6 tonnes.

CHARACTERISTICS: Triceratops was the largest ceratopsid. At the back of its head it had an enormous bony frill, 2 metres wide with a crested edge, while its skull had three horns: two at the top and one on the nose. It probably used its horns to defend itself against predators but also when fighting with other males. The bony frill not only protected its back anf neck but also provided an excellent anchorage for powerful masticatory muscles; some scientists believe that this frill may have been brightly coloured to attract the females. Its snout ended in a beak like that of a parrot to enable it to cut tough vegetation; the jaws themselves were densely lined with teeth for chewing. It had a massive body and very powerful leg to support its weight while running but, based on its size, it is not thought that Triceratops could have been a fast runner.

Triceratops (2)

Did you know that...

Triceratops was among the dinosaurs that had the largest heads. Fossil remains of skulls 2.30 metres long have been found! Besides the bony frill, useful for anchoring the powerful masticatory muscles, it also had a sturdy nasal horn and above the eyes, two pointed horns which could be as long as 1 metre.

Triceratops Skeleton

DINO QUIZ :

Why are so many Triceratops fossil skeletons found in close to each other?
(see the answer at the bottom of this article)

NOW, AS THEN ...

Triceratops is reminiscent of today’s rhinoceros. Even their way of life was probably very similar. When threatened by a predator, Triceratops would defend itself by charging as a rhinoceros would do today. Triceratops lived in very large herds and, in case of danger, the adults would position themselves in a circle with their horns pointing outwards, thus protecting their young in the middle.

Triceratops (3)

Southern White Rhinoceros

DINO QUIZ ANSWER:
Triceratops lived in herds and migrated enormous distances. If they had to cross a river on their journey many animals could drown together. The muddy sediments of a large river are ideal for fossilization which is why many fossilized Triceratops skeletons have been found close to each other.

Source: DINOSAUR A-Z (Brown Watson)

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Tyrannosaurus

Tyrannosaurus rex Jurassic Park

NAME: Tyrannosaurus means 'tyrant lizard'.

DISCOVERED BY: Osborn, in 1905.

CLASSIFICATION: Saurischia, Theropoda, Tyrannosauridae.

REMAINS: discovered in North America.

DIMENSIONS: length: 14 metres; height: 6 metres; weight: 7 tonnes.

Tyrannosaurus rex (1)

CHARACTERISTICS: Tyrannosaurus was a gigantic carnivorous dinosaur. It had a massive, elongated skull over 1.50 metres long; the muscles of it jaws were extremely strong and its neck so powerful that it could drag heavy prey and tear off large chunks of flesh from it. Tyrannosaurus moved only on its hind legs which were very muscular, strong and long enough to enable it to run quite fast. In contrast it forelimbs were very small with only two digits. This was probably so as not to weigh down the front part of the body further, which was already supporting its massive skull. Possibly it used these short forelimbs, which were to short even to carry food to its mouth, to help it get off the ground when lying down. Tyrannosaurus had over 50 teeth which were enormous, some as much as 20 centimetres long, and had serrated edges. They were very sharp, curved inwards and could tear a prey to pieces and rip kilograms of flesh off the carcass in a single bite. But palaeontologists disagree about the hunting technique of Tyrannosaurus. Some believe it hunted by chasing its prey while others think that it laid ambushes and traps. Others again old that it fed only carrion or that it snatched the prey caught by other animals. Given its enormous size, it may not have been able to pursue a prey for a long time. It is more likely that it just attacked and snatched its prey and then waited for it to die.

Tyrannosaurus rex (2)

Did you know that...

Tyrannosaurus was one of the most fearsome, terrifying predators that ever lived on Earth. Its prey included ceratopsids (on some bones of which traces of Tyrannosaurus teeth have been observed) as well as hadrosaurs: fragments of Edmontosaurus bones have been discovered in some Tyrannosaurus coprolite (fossilised excrement).

Tyrannosaurus rex (3)

DINO QUIZ :
What recent discoveries have been made about the young of Tyrannosaurus?
(see the answer at the bottom of this article)

T. rex's skull

past and present

For almost a century Tyrannosaurus has been recognised as the largest carnivorous dinosaur that ever existed but other specimens of dinosaur recently discovered in Africa and South America are even larger! Carcharodontosaurus, found in North America, weighed eight tons. Its skull was even bigger that that of Tyrannosaurus and its teeth are reminiscent of those of a shark. Giganotosaurus which lived in South America was bigger than both of them.

Note: Carcharodontosaurus could weigh a tonne more than Tyrannosaurus.

Carcharodontosaurus

A Carchardontosaurus's tooth

Giganotosaurus

DINO QUIZ ANSWER:
According to the most recent discoveries, Tyrannosaurus young were born with a thick layer of feathers to keep them warm, The feathers gradually disappeared as they grew up.

Source: DINOSAUR A-Z (Brown Watson)

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