Triceratops

From EvoWiki

Triceratops is a genus of extinct herbivorous dinosaurs that lived around the end of the Cretaceous period. All species lived on the North American continent and are, like all the other non-avian dinosaurs, extinct now. It was about 9 metres (30ft) long and probably weighed around 5,400 kg. The name means "three horned face".

See Triceratops in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Triceratops skeleton-1 at the Smithsonian museum of Natural History

Triceratops skeleton-2 at the Smithsonian museum of Natural History

Triceratops Skull at the Smithsonian museum of Natural History

Triceratops was discovered by John Bell Hatcher in 1888. Its declaration as a legitimate dinosaur came when an intact skull was found. Previous to this, it was misidentified as a type of buffalo.

Triceratops is a part of the Ceratopids family which included dinosaurs very similar to the Triceratops, differing in size and skull shape. For example: Torosaurus, Protoceratops, Pentceratops etc.

Triceratops belongs to the Ornithischian dinosaurs (means: "bird's hip") and walked on four legs. Its length is estimated to have been 8-11 m and its weight 5-8 tons. Paleontologists believe that Triceratops lived in herds like dinosaurian buffalo or moose. Its food was plants and shrubbery and it used its beak to cut down branches with leaves. Behind the beak Triceratops had 2 lines of teeth for chewing the food.

Triceratops had very large skulls filled with huge muscles and hard bones. These had one short horn above its nose and two long horns above its eyebrows. The skull ended with a large bony frill which protected the neck.

The horns and the frill could have been used for serveral purposes:

• A means of defence against carnivores such as the Tyrannosaurus rex.
• A means of communication between the herd members.
• A means of battling another Triceratops over females or territory.
• A means of courting females.
• A status symbol which reflects (or determines) the individual's status in the herd.

Known species of Triceratops include:

• T. prorsus
• T. horridus (type species, Marsh 1889)

The Diceratops was formerly believed to be a species of Triceratops as well but is now believed to be a member of an own genus and species.

Triceratops is the official state fossil of South Dakota, and the official state dinosaur of Wyoming.