Post by DinosaurMichael on May 18, 2012 18:43:52 GMT -5
Styracosaurus - Styracosaurus albertensis
Styracosaurus ( /stɨˌrækəˈsɔrəs/ stə-rak-ə-sor-əs; meaning "spiked lizard" from the Ancient Greek styrax/στύραξ "spike at the butt-end of a spear-shaft" and sauros/σαῦρος "lizard") was a genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period (Campanian stage), about 76.5 to 75.0 million years ago. It had four to six long horns extending from its neck frill, a smaller horn on each of its cheeks, and a single horn protruding from its nose, which may have been up to 60 centimetres (2 ft) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) wide. The function or functions of the horns and frills have been debated for many years. Styracosaurus was a relatively large dinosaur, reaching lengths of 5.5 metres (18 ft) and weighing nearly 3 tons. It stood about 1.8 meters (6 ft) tall. Styracosaurus possessed four short legs and a bulky body. Its tail was rather short. The skull had a beak and shearing cheek teeth arranged in continuous dental batteries, suggesting that the animal sliced up plants. Like other ceratopsians, this dinosaur may have been a herd animal, traveling in large groups, as suggested by bonebeds. Named by Lawrence Lambe in 1913, Styracosaurus is a member of the Centrosaurinae. One species, S. albertensis, is currently assigned to Styracosaurus. Other species assigned to the genus have since been reassigned elsewhere. Individuals of the Styracosaurus genus were approximately 5.5 metres (18 ft) long as adults and weighed around 2.7 tons. The skull was massive, with a large nostril, a tall straight nose horn, and a parietosquamosal frill (a neck frill) crowned with at least four large spikes. Each of the four longest frill spines was comparable in length to the nose horn, at 50 to 55 centimetres long (19.7 to 21.7 in). The nasal horn is estimated at 57 centimeters long (19.7 in) in the type specimen, but the horn is only partially complete. Based on other nasal horn cores from Styracosaurus and Centrosaurus, this horn may have come to a rounded point at around half of that length.
Euoplocephalus - Euoplocephalus tutus
Euoplocephalus ( /juːˌɒplɵˈsɛfələs/ ew-op-lo-sef-ə-ləs; Greek: eu-/ευ- meaning 'well', hoplo-/οπλο- meaning 'armed' and kephale/κεφαλη meaning 'head', "well-armored head") was one of the largest genera of ankylosaurian dinosaurs, at about the size of a small elephant. It is also the ankylosaurian with the best fossil record, so its extensive spiked armor, low-slung body and great club-like tail are well documented. Among the ankylosaurids, Euoplocephalus was exceeded in size only by Tarchia and Ankylosaurus. Euoplocephalus was 6 metres (20 ft) long and weighed about 2 tonnes (2.2 short tons). It was also 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) wide. Euoplocephalus as it is currently understood existed for far longer, and was a member of more distinct faunas, than any of its contemporaries (though it is possible that the fossils currently assigned to Euoplocephalus actually represent several different genera). Euoplocephalus fossils have been found in the Dinosaur Park and Horseshoe Canyon Formations of Alberta, as well as the Judith River Formation of Montana. Its fossils date to between 76.5 and 67 million years ago, in the Campanian-Maastrichtian ages of the late Cretaceous period.
Styracosaurus ( /stɨˌrækəˈsɔrəs/ stə-rak-ə-sor-əs; meaning "spiked lizard" from the Ancient Greek styrax/στύραξ "spike at the butt-end of a spear-shaft" and sauros/σαῦρος "lizard") was a genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period (Campanian stage), about 76.5 to 75.0 million years ago. It had four to six long horns extending from its neck frill, a smaller horn on each of its cheeks, and a single horn protruding from its nose, which may have been up to 60 centimetres (2 ft) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) wide. The function or functions of the horns and frills have been debated for many years. Styracosaurus was a relatively large dinosaur, reaching lengths of 5.5 metres (18 ft) and weighing nearly 3 tons. It stood about 1.8 meters (6 ft) tall. Styracosaurus possessed four short legs and a bulky body. Its tail was rather short. The skull had a beak and shearing cheek teeth arranged in continuous dental batteries, suggesting that the animal sliced up plants. Like other ceratopsians, this dinosaur may have been a herd animal, traveling in large groups, as suggested by bonebeds. Named by Lawrence Lambe in 1913, Styracosaurus is a member of the Centrosaurinae. One species, S. albertensis, is currently assigned to Styracosaurus. Other species assigned to the genus have since been reassigned elsewhere. Individuals of the Styracosaurus genus were approximately 5.5 metres (18 ft) long as adults and weighed around 2.7 tons. The skull was massive, with a large nostril, a tall straight nose horn, and a parietosquamosal frill (a neck frill) crowned with at least four large spikes. Each of the four longest frill spines was comparable in length to the nose horn, at 50 to 55 centimetres long (19.7 to 21.7 in). The nasal horn is estimated at 57 centimeters long (19.7 in) in the type specimen, but the horn is only partially complete. Based on other nasal horn cores from Styracosaurus and Centrosaurus, this horn may have come to a rounded point at around half of that length.
Euoplocephalus - Euoplocephalus tutus
Euoplocephalus ( /juːˌɒplɵˈsɛfələs/ ew-op-lo-sef-ə-ləs; Greek: eu-/ευ- meaning 'well', hoplo-/οπλο- meaning 'armed' and kephale/κεφαλη meaning 'head', "well-armored head") was one of the largest genera of ankylosaurian dinosaurs, at about the size of a small elephant. It is also the ankylosaurian with the best fossil record, so its extensive spiked armor, low-slung body and great club-like tail are well documented. Among the ankylosaurids, Euoplocephalus was exceeded in size only by Tarchia and Ankylosaurus. Euoplocephalus was 6 metres (20 ft) long and weighed about 2 tonnes (2.2 short tons). It was also 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) wide. Euoplocephalus as it is currently understood existed for far longer, and was a member of more distinct faunas, than any of its contemporaries (though it is possible that the fossils currently assigned to Euoplocephalus actually represent several different genera). Euoplocephalus fossils have been found in the Dinosaur Park and Horseshoe Canyon Formations of Alberta, as well as the Judith River Formation of Montana. Its fossils date to between 76.5 and 67 million years ago, in the Campanian-Maastrichtian ages of the late Cretaceous period.
